Patna: The streets of Patna came alive with music, drumbeats, and jubilant crowds on Wednesday as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supporters celebrated the 78th birthday of party supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
From the early hours of June 11, groups of supporters gathered near Rabri Devi’s residence, singing and dancing in celebration. Videos circulating online show supporters swaying to traditional tunes and throwing currency notes into the air as a mark of celebration. Large posters, party flags, and the sound of *gaza-baja* created a festive atmosphere across parts of the capital.
At the RJD office in Patna, preparations were made for a cake-cutting ceremony, while smaller gatherings erupted across the city, highlighting the deep grassroots support the veteran leader still commands.
Yadav’s daughter and Rajya Sabha MP, Misa Bharti, shared family pictures on social media, capturing a private moment of cake-cutting at home. “Himalayas of courage, the ocean of justice, the burning flame of public consciousness… If you are there, everything is there,” she wrote in a tribute to her father.
Supporters wished Yadav a long life and hailed him as a “voice of the marginalised,” reaffirming his central place in Bihar’s political narrative even as younger leaders like Tejashwi Yadav take the party reins.
The celebrations, however, sparked criticism in some quarters due to the public display of cash, prompting concerns about propriety and messaging in a state grappling with poverty and unemployment.
Still, for many in Patna, the day was not about politics or protocol—it was about honouring a man they view as a symbol of social justice and grassroots empowerment.
