As the date for the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draws closer, the war of words between political parties has intensified. Meanwhile, a video has once again sparked a political firestorm. Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, had shared a video on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he was seen eating fish. The BJP has been on the offensive over this video ever since. PM Modi also addressed a public rally and took a dig at the opposition over the fish video. The question now arises whether Tejashwi’s video could potentially harm the India alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Tejashwi Shared the Fish Video
In the video, Tejashwi can be seen saying that he is campaigning with Mukesh Sahni. He added that they are taking a 15-minute break for a meal, which consists of fish, roti, onions, and green chilies. After this video surfaced, the BJP has been attacking Tejashwi Yadav. It is worth noting that a different political battle has started after this video. Several BJP leaders have heavily criticized it. Now, PM Modi has also hit out at the opposition over this video.
Bihar’s Deputy CM Targeted Tejashwi
Reacting to Tejashwi Yadav’s post of eating fish, Bihar’s Deputy CM Vijay Sinha said, “Some people claim to be the sons of Sanatan (Hinduism), but they cannot accept the core values of Sanatan. I have no objection to eating habits, but by posting a video of eating fish during Navratri, you are showing appeasement politics. One should be proud of their religion, values, nation and society but it is not good to humiliate them. This means insulting one’s own religion. PM Modi has clearly said that now there will be no politics of appeasement.”
PM Modi Also Attacked the Opposition
Addressing a public rally in Udhampur, PM Modi said, “By showing a video of eating non-veg during Navratri days, who are they trying to please by hurting people’s sentiments?” He further added, “The Congress and INDIA alliance people do not care about the sentiments of the majority of the country’s population. They enjoy playing with people’s sentiments. He cited an incident where individuals visited the home of a person convicted by the court, who was out on bail, and cooked mutton during the month of Sawan, subsequently sharing a video of the act. PM Modi said, When the Mughals invaded here, they were not satisfied until they demolished the temples. So, like the Mughals, they want to irritate the people of the country by doing things like these and also sharing the video during the month of Sawan.”
Could the INDIA Alliance face defeat in the Lok Sabha elections?
It is worth noting that Tejashwi Yadav shared this video on April 9, 2024, the first day of Chaitra Navratri. Immediately after this, the BJP vehemently targeted Tejashwi Yadav over the video, and now it has become a political issue. Tejashwi Yadav has clarified his stance on the video, but the issue shows no signs of abating. Many experts believe that this could potentially harm the INDIA alliance to some extent. However, only time will tell whether the INDIA alliance suffers any losses due to this issue.
What did Tejashwi Yadav Say?
In his defense, Tejashwi said, “You will have to understand that he is not speaking on the issues. Did he talk about the issues of Bihar, its youth, farmers and mass exodus? Key issues like poverty, unemployment and how many jobs have been provided need to be discussed. Why didn’t PM Modi eradicate poverty? Why was Bihar not given special status?” the former deputy chief minister of Bihar said in Gaya.
It’s noteworthy that since Tejashwi Yadav shared the video of himself eating fish, the BJP has launched a sustained attack on the RJD leader. Now, with PM Modi weighing in, it seems the final piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. Many political analysts suggest that the BJP has effectively capitalized on this issue. However, it remains to be seen how the opposition will navigate its way out of this situation.
