In a strong statement made during his ‘Seemanchal Nyay Yatra’ rally in Kishanganj, Bihar, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused RJD leader Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav of a cold shoulder. Owaisi revealed that despite three letters from AIMIM’s Bihar president, Akhtarul Iman, expressing a desire to join the INDIA bloc, there has been no response from the RJD leadership.
“We only asked for six seats and made it clear that we weren’t interested in ministerial berths. Our sole demand was to be treated as equals, not as subordinates, in the collective battle against the BJP and RSS. Yet, we’ve received absolute silence from them,” Owaisi asserted to the crowd in the Muslim-majority Kishanganj district.
Owaisi attributed the Muslim community’s perceived lack of dedicated leadership in Bihar to the RJD’s indifference. He highlighted that while other caste groups like Yadavs, Kushwahas, Kurmis, Manjhis, Rajputs, and Paswans have their own prominent leaders, Muslims in the state do not. The AIMIM chief, whose party secured five seats in the last Assembly elections (though most MLAs later defected to the RJD), questioned why a youth from Seemanchal couldn’t aspire to become Chief Minister if Tejashwi Yadav could.
He further stated, “Our alliance efforts were made to avoid accusations of aiding the BJP. However, the RJD’s continued lack of response will clarify who is truly benefiting the BJP.” Owaisi’s party had contested 20 seats in the previous polls, winning five of them. The Seemanchal region, encompassing Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj, and Katihar districts, is known for its significant Muslim population. Later in the day, Owaisi was scheduled to address additional public meetings in Araria district.