“Called Maha Kumbh Useless”: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Fresh Attack at Lalu Prasad Yadav
By The Vagabond News Editorial Desk | November 2, 2025
Controversial remark reignites religious-political storm
Former Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav sparked fresh outrage after he described the sacred Maha Kumbh Mela gathering in Prayagraj as “useless” (“faaltu”) while responding to a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. (India Today)
The comment has become a core talking point in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, with the BJP ramping up criticism over what it calls a disdainful attitude towards Hindu faith and tradition.
BJP fires back: religion, culture and political staking
In the aftermath, the BJP has launched pointed attacks:
- A senior BJP spokesperson accused Yadav of insulting Sanātana Dharma and warned of political consequences for mocking a major religious gathering. (The Economic Times)
- At a rally in Bhagalpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that those who deride the Maha Kumbh show contempt for heritage and will be judged by people of Bihar. He described such comments as the product of what he termed the “jungle-raj” attitude. (India Today)
What triggered the remark
The incident that prompted the remark: a stampede late on February 15 2025 at New Delhi Railway Station, in which at least 18 people died as pilgrims en route to the Kumbh rushed to board trains. Yadav blamed railway mismanagement and then dismissed the festival’s relevance in the same breath. (India Today)
Implications for Bihar politics
- The issue has become an emotional flash-point in the campaign for the 2025 Bihar elections — stressing the faultlines of religion, caste, identity and governance.
- The BJP believes this controversy will help frame the narrative of the RJD as being out of tune with the majority sentiment on Hindu festivals and culture.
- For the RJD, the remark risks alienating a broader base beyond its core supporters, especially among voters sensitive to religious sentiment.
- Analysts say this episode reinforces how religious symbolism is now tightly woven into electoral strategy across states.
The Vagabond View
What might have begun as an off-hand remark after a railway tragedy has transformed into a potent political wedge. In Indian electoral politics, the invocation of a festival like the Maha Kumbh carries far more weight than mere ritual — it becomes a barometer of cultural alignment, identity and legitimacy.
In this case, Yadav’s dismissal of the event has handed the BJP a platform to portray him and his party as dismissive of a deeply rooted religious event — while the RJD must now manage the fallout of losing ground on this emotive front. The next few weeks will show how much traction this issue gains among voters in Bihar.
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