At Women's Day event, Rabri Devi slams Nitish Kumar

Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Saturday criticised her successor Nitish Kumar over bizarre remarks made by him while claiming credit for women's empowerment.

The RJD leader attended a function organised here by the party on International Women's Day, which was also attended by her son Tejashwi Yadav.

"Nitish Kumar boasts that all that is good in Bihar has been achieved since 2005, when he came to power. Was he born the same year?", asked the homemaker-turned-politician.

She added, "He has the temerity to say girls and women did not wear clothes until he came to power in Bihar. Is it true for females in his own family?" The 74-year-old JDU chief has of late been accused of getting carried away while speaking in public, the latest example being his outbursts inside the legislative council a day ago.

The longest-serving CM had engaged in a spat with some RJD MLCs, and, pointing towards Rabri Devi, the leader of the opposition, said, "her husband got her installed when he ran into trouble".

The use of the Hindi word "iske" (her) by Kumar was protested by the RJD, including Tejashwi Yadav who pointed out "my mother became the CM before he did and is older than he is. She headed the government of undivided Bihar and even in terms of personal relationships she is the senior".

Notably, Rabri Devi's husband Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, often refers to Kumar, his arch rival, as a "Chhota bhai" (little brother).

Rabri Devi pulled no punches in her speech, accusing Narendra Modi government at the Centre of "framing" her husband in "false cases" with the help of investigating agencies.

However, when her comments were sought on the language used by Kumar on Friday, she quipped, with disgust writ large on her face "I don't wish to get into this muck".

Tejashwi Yadav, though, spoke of Kumar's behaviour while holding forth on "failures" of the government headed by the JD(U) supremo with whom he has allied on two occasions.

"Whenever he has needed our support to stay in power, he has come to us addressing my mother as bhabhi (sister in law). And now just look at the offensive manner in which he spoke about her. It shows that he is not of sound mental health and not fit to govern", said the former Deputy CM.