Bihar now has electricity, days of lantern over: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a stinging attack on the RJD-led opposition in poll-bound Bihar, blaming the "anarchy and bad governance of the 1990s" for most of the ills that plagued the state even now.

Addressing an election rally here, Modi said the "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance) was a "pitara" (basket) comprising elements wary of the "governments crackdown on anti-national activities", and stressed that the state must vote to power the NDA led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar so that "Bihar does not fall ill (Bimar) again".

"The state now has electricity. The days of lantern are over," said Modi in a reference to the election symbol of the Rashtriya Janata Dal founded and headed by Lalu Prasad.

"Most of the ills that plague the state today are the result of the years of anarchy and bad governance it had to suffer in the 1990s. The new generation ought to know that Bihar has been witness to times when people alighting from trains in the night used to stay back at the station since anti-social elements used to maraud freely, he alleged.

He claimed people used to avoid buying a new car out of fear that a particular political party might get to know about their prosperity and they might end up getting kidnapped for ransom.

It was an obvious reference to the RJD, which was often accused by adversaries of patronising criminals.

He also said that the assembly elections in the state were crucial because of the sheer number of people who are going to cast their votes amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

Modi said it was a chance to the people to vote the NDA back to power and ensure unhindered growth.

Taking potshots at the opposition Grand Alliance, which also includes the Congress and Left parties, Modi charged the coalition partners with "promoting naxalism" and intending to "keep the people poor as they fear that prosperity will make them politically irrelevant".