![[L] RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav; (R) a screengrab of the video that has gone viral on social media](https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/week/news/india/images/2025/6/15/lalu-prasad-yadav-video-ambedkar.jpg "[L] RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav; (R) a screengrab of the video that has gone viral on social media")
With the assembly elections just a few months away, the opposition RJD has found itself in a spot after a video of party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s recent birthday celebration sparked off a political storm.
The video showed a portrait of B.R. Ambedkar placed at Lalu Prasad’s feet during the function held last week, with his political opponents accusing the former chief minister of insulting the dalit icon.
Bihar SC Commission issued a notice to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for disrespecting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on his birthday. He has been asked to respond within 15 days or face possible legal action under the SC/ST Atrocities Act pic.twitter.com/kdvxpoY49o
— IANS (@ians_india) June 15, 2025
“The RJD supremo demonstrated his pettiness for which he will never be forgiven by the people of Bihar,” said JD(U) national general secretary Shyam Rajak.
Rajak, who returned to the JD(U) last year after quitting the RJD, hit out at his former boss while heaping praise on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for uplifting the dalit community.
“Nitish Kumar's 20-year-long tenure has been devoted to the uplift of all deprived sections in general and Dalits in particular. The impact of his policies is felt on the ground,” he said at a press conference in Patna.
In the controversial video, the ailing leader can be seen seated on a couch with his feet placed on a sofa nearby. A supporter enters the room carrying the portrait and places it close to Prasad's feet before greeting the RJD chief.
JD(U)’s attack on Lalu Prasad came a day after the BJP trained its guns at the former CM, saying he always held the dalits in contempt.
"This is testimony to the fact that Lalu Prasad holds Dalits in contempt and has no respect for the greatest leader from the depressed classes. He can even have pictures of gods placed at his feet,” said BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
बाबा साहब के अपमान का वीडियो सामने आए 36 घंटे से ज़्यादा हो गए। उस वीडियो से पूरा बिहार आहत है। लेकिन अभी तक आरजेडी की तरफ़ से अफ़सोस के दो शब्द नहीं आए। लेकिन लालू प्रसाद के लाडले तेजस्वी का अहंकार ज़रूर बिहार ने देख लिया।
— Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) June 15, 2025
बाबा साहब के अपमान को तेजस्वी ने अपमान मानने से ही… pic.twitter.com/ew3c2lObhD
The dalit leaders in the saffron party, like cabinet minister Janak Ram and state unit vice president Anamika Paswan, have also come out with strongly worded statements against the RJD chief.
"The 14 crore people of Bihar are feeling ashamed, and the entire family of RJD supremo should tender an apology. The leader cut the cake with a sword, which indicates that his party wants to bring back the use of muscle power in public affairs, to which the NDA had assiduously put an end,” said Janak Ram.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who has entered Bihar politics with his Jan Suraaj party, on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to criticise Lalu Prasad for having a portrait of Ambedkar placed at his feet.
"The Congress has reduced itself to a sidekick of the RJD in Bihar,” he said. "I ask Rahul Gandhi to do a small thing to prove me wrong. Let him issue just one statement criticising Lalu Prasad for having a portrait of Ambedkar placed at his feet."
The RJD, meanwhile, sought to downplay the incident, with party leaders claiming that what had happened was "not intentional".
RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav has blamed the controversy on the "angle of the camera", claiming that the person who had brought the portrait of Ambedkar to Prasad's house was "still holding it in his hands".
Yadav has also insisted that Prasad, who suffers from multiple ailments, had placed his feet on a sofa "in keeping with medical advice".
