‘Rain of Lies, Hail of False Promises’: Lalu Yadav’s ‘Weather Forecast’ on PM Modi’s Bihar Visit

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday issued a sarcastic “weather warning” for Bihar, predicting a “heavy rain of lies” and a “hail of false promises” to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the poll-bound state. The sharp, coordinated attack from the RJD leadership came in response to the Prime Minister’s stinging criticism of the RJD-Congress combine over dynastic politics and “jungle raj.”

As PM Modi addressed a rally in the RJD stronghold of Siwan, Lalu Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter) with his witty retort. “Weather warning in the interest of Bihar. Today, there is a heavy rain of lies, false promises and illusions in Bihar. Hailstones of false and tempting promises are also falling along with thunder. Be careful,” the former Chief Minister wrote. He also shared a satirical AI-generated video mocking the NDA’s alleged broken promises.

His son and Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, continued the offensive, dismissing the Prime Minister’s speech as “ghisa-pita (cliched)” and “read from a teleprompter.” He turned the NDA’s primary accusation of ‘parivarvaad’ (dynastic politics) on its head, coining a new moniker for the ruling alliance.

“The RJD has a clear vision and roadmap for the state. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar continues to ignore people’s issues while attending PM Modi’s rallies,” Tejashwi said, adding, “The NDA, which is the ‘National Damad Alliance’, should take accountability and answer to the people of Bihar.” His “damad” (son-in-law) jibe was a reference to recent appointments of relatives of several NDA leaders to various state commissions.

The fiery exchange was triggered by PM Modi’s rally in Siwan earlier in the day, where he launched a series of attacks on the opposition. “We say ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas’ but the RJD and Congress believe in ‘parivaar ka saath, parivaar ka vikas’ (Together with family, development for the family),” the Prime Minister had declared, appealing to voters to reject the parties that brought “jungle raj” to Bihar.

With assembly elections scheduled for October-November this year, the high-voltage war of words has set the stage for a fierce electoral battle in the state.