Videos of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav celebrating Halloween with his grandchildren went viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP highlighted Yadav’s previous statement where he described the significant Maha Kumbh festival as “meaningless,” contrasting it with his participation in the Halloween festivities.
Lalu Yadav’s daughter and RJD leader, Rohini Acharya, shared glimpses of the celebration on the social media platform X, captioning it “Happy Halloween to everyone.” The visuals showed the veteran politician posing with his grandchildren, who were dressed in Halloween costumes.
The BJP Kisan Morcha (BJPKM) took to X to condemn Yadav’s actions, stating, “Don’t forget, people of Bihar, this is the same Lalu Yadav who had called the grand festival of faith and spirituality Maha Kumbh useless and is now celebrating the festival of Halloween. Those who attack faith will not get votes from the people of Bihar.”
Lalu Yadav’s Remarks on Maha Kumbh
Earlier this year, in February, Lalu Prasad Yadav had ignited a controversy by calling the Maha Kumbh festival “meaningless.” While commenting on the large gatherings for the religious event in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, he had stated, “The Kumbh has no meaning… It is just meaningless.”
His remarks had drawn immediate backlash from the BJP. Bihar BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma had asserted that Yadav’s comments reflected the RJD’s attitude towards the Hindu religion, attributing them to “politics of appeasement.” Sharma further alleged that RJD leaders consistently insulted the religious sentiments of Hindus, and Yadav’s statement about Maha Kumbh exposed the party’s mindset.
Context: Bihar Assembly Elections
This political sparring between the BJP and Lalu Yadav occurs in the backdrop of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The first phase of polling is scheduled for November 6, with the second phase taking place on November 11. The results are expected on November 14.