Rajgir: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of running Bihar through “remote control politics” and failing its youth, as he addressed an election rally in Nursarai, Nalanda.
In a sharp critique of both the BJP and JD (U), Rahul said Bihar’s youth were being robbed of opportunities by corruption and paper leaks. “The youth of Bihar dream of becoming engineers and doctors. After months of hard work, their exam papers are leaked a day before the test. Honest youth are left stunned while those with money and connections succeed,” he said.
Taking aim at Nitish Kumar’s long tenure, Rahul questioned his claims of development. “Nitish Kumar says he has transformed Bihar in 20 years. But can anyone get good education and healthcare here? People don’t go to Bihar’s hospitals to live — they go there to die,” he told the crowd.
He also accused the chief minister of being a “remote-controlled” leader, claiming that Amit Shah and Narendra Modi dictate Bihar’s governance. “Nitish doesn’t run Bihar. The BJP controls him from Delhi. Whatever he wants to do, they make him do,” Gandhi said.
Turning his fire toward PM Modi, the Congress leader dismissed the prime minister’s recent remarks on Chhath Puja as “political theatre.” “Narendra Modi has nothing to do with Chhath Puja. He only wants your votes. Ask him to dance on stage for votes, and he’ll do it,” Gandhi said, accusing the prime minister of exploiting faith for electoral gains.
In a bid to connect with young voters, Rahul urged them to imagine a self-reliant Bihar. “Wherever I go, I see Biharis building other people’s dreams — in Dubai, in Bengaluru. If you can build Dubai, why not build Bihar? I want the world to buy phones, shirts, and pants made in Bihar. We should see ‘Made in Bihar’ written on products, not ‘Made in China’,” he said, drawing loud applause.
He also criticised the BJP government for allegedly favouring industrialist Gautam Adani, claiming land in Bhagalpur had been given to him “for one rupee.” “This government works for billionaires, not for farmers. They’re taking land from farmers and handing it to their friends,” he alleged.
The Congress leader further accused the BJP of “stealing votes” in previous state elections. “If they hadn’t stolen votes, we would already be in power,” he said, referring to alleged electoral manipulation in Maharashtra and Haryana.
Rahul ended his address with a call for economic transformation. “Bihar’s youth have built cities across the world — now it’s time to build Bihar itself,” he said.
