The Rashtriya Janata Dal has welcomed Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha’s comment that a political union of the Yadavs and the Kushwahas in Bihar would make “good kheer”.
The comment has been seen by several people as an indication that the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party will leave the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and join Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal.
At a meeting to mark the 100th birth anniversary of former Bihar Chief Minister BP Mandal on Saturday, Kushwaha said: “Yaduvanshiyon ka dudh aur Kushwansiyon ka chawal mil jaye to kheer ban sakti hai [kheer can be prepared with the milk from Yadavs and rice from Kushwahas],” according to PTI. The Yadavs in Bihar are known for rearing cows and the Kushwahas are mainly agriculturists.
“We will get the sugar from Brahmins, Tulsi from Choudharyji [RLSP Bihar chief Bhudev Choudhary], and can make delicious kheer with the dry-fruits from the backward classes and Dalits,” said the minister. “Then we can relish the delicious kheer together.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejashwi Yadav, who has often invited Kushwaha to align with his party, responded: “Undoubtedly, delicious and nutritious kheer is necessary for working class. And health benefits of panchmewa not only provides energy to the body but also helpful in building healthy and equitable society.” Panchmewa is a sweet delicacy prepared with five different types of dry fruits.
He added: “Kheer prepared with love and affection is a delicious, energetic and full of nutritious value. This is a good dish.”
The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party’s Bihar partners, however, dismissed the remarks. Bihar’s BJP chief Nityanand Rai said it just looked like a proverb. “Rice, milk and sugar belonged to everyone,” Rai told PTI. “One should not read anything more in it as Kushwahaji has already taken a resolve to make Narendra Modi prime minister in 2019 again.”
Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Niraj Kumar said, “It looks like more of a proverb than anything else…Upendra Kushwaha has played an important role in uprooting jungle raj from Bihar and he is with the NDA.”
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