Siwan: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its candidate Osama Shahab, son of the late Siwan strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin, likening his entry into the Bihar election fray to the “return of Babar and Aurangzeb.”
Addressing a rally in Raghunathpur, Siwan — Shahabuddin’s traditional bastion — Adityanath was welcomed with chants and a bulldozer procession, symbolic of his administration’s anti-crime image in Uttar Pradesh. During his 22-minute speech, he tore into the Grand Alliance, particularly the RJD, accusing it of “glorifying criminals and disrespecting the Ram Temple.”
“I was surprised when I arrived in Raghunathpur. The RJD has fielded a candidate who is nationally and internationally known for his criminal tendencies. Look at the name — Osama Shahab. He is as good as his name,” Adityanath said, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
In a scathing remark, the Chief Minister alleged, “It may suit parties like Congress, RJD and Samajwadi Party to bow before the mafia, visit the tombs of Babar and Aurangzeb and offer prayers. But this does not befit a true Indian.”
The BJP star campaigner said his government in Uttar Pradesh had “zero tolerance towards crime and criminals” and that the “bulldozer model” was a guarantee of justice. “Whatever remains, the bulldozer of UP takes care of it,” he added.
Taking a direct swipe at the opposition, Adityanath accused the RJD of trying to revive “Jungle Raj” in Bihar and promoting “family-based development” instead of public welfare. “Before 2005, it was everyone’s support but only family development. Today, they want to develop the mafia,” he said.
He also hit out at Congress and RJD over the Ram Mandir issue, claiming both parties had historically opposed the temple’s construction in Ayodhya. “Congress said Ram never existed. The RJD stopped the Ram Mandir chariot and still opposes its development,” he declared.
The Chief Minister also criticised the RJD’s ally, the Samajwadi Party, accusing it of having “fired upon Ram devotees in Uttar Pradesh,” and took aim at the CPI-ML, alleging that their ideology supported “Naxalism and Maoism.”
Concluding his address, Adityanath urged voters to support the NDA candidate from Raghunathpur, Vikas Singh, who faces Osama Shahab in a high-stakes contest seen as a symbolic battle between the BJP’s “bulldozer politics” and RJD’s legacy of Siwan dominance.
