Symbol of 'jungle raj': JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha slams RJD for fielding Shahabuddin's son

Patna, Oct 16 (IANS) Janata Dal(United) MP Sanjay Jha on Thursday hit out at the Mahagathbandhan for fielding Mohammad Shahabuddin's son, Osama Shahab, in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, saying that such decisions prove the alliance has not moved on from its past and continues to represent the "Jungle Raj" era.

Jha said that the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) decision to give a ticket to Osama reflects the same governance culture that "once pushed Bihar into lawlessness and forced people to migrate in search of better opportunities".

"For 15 years, these were the type of elements that became symbols of everything wrong. These people were the symbol of 'Jungle Raj'. Because of such people, many left Bihar and went across the country and the world. The humiliation of Biharis was such that people were ashamed to say they were from Bihar," Jha told reporters.

Criticising the RJD leadership, he said, "This party's culture has not changed a bit. How can they give tickets to such people and still say that they will transform Bihar? How can they do that? How will they bring good governance in Bihar?"

The RJD has fielded Osama Shahab, son of late RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, from the Raghunathpur Assembly constituency in Siwan district.

The move has sparked a political row as Shahabuddin faced several criminal cases during his political career.

The RJD's ally, CPI(ML), which once led an extensive agitation in Siwan against Shahabuddin's criminal activities, said on Wednesday that it has "no dispute" with his family.

Reports suggest that RJD's sitting MLA Hari Shankar Yadav offered his seat to Osama, following which party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav personally handed over the election symbol to him.

Shahabuddin first entered the Lok Sabha from Siwan in 1996 after serving two terms as an MLA from Jiradei. Following his conviction in several criminal cases, he introduced his wife, Hina Shahab, into politics.

She contested Lok Sabha elections on an RJD ticket in 2009, 2014, and 2019 but was unsuccessful each time. Shahabuddin died in jail while serving his sentence.

--IANS

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