Former union minister and RJD MP Devendra Prasad Yadav joins Jan Suraaj

PATNA: Former union minister and former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Devendra Prasad Yadav joined the party, ‘Jan Suraaj’ led by ace political strategist-turned politician Prashant Kishor at a function held in Patna on Tuesday. Yadav, a prominent Yadav leader of the Mithilanchal region in north Bihar, assailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on the occasion.

Without taking Lalu Prasad’s name, Yadav said that some people talk about A to Z but they never think beyond their family and caste. The former minister said that the state witnessed a change of rule in the past but never undergone change of establishment.

People have been deceived in the name of GDP growth. Dalits, EBCs and OBCs have been left behind as far as their development is concerned. In response to a media query, Yadav said that political parties have used such people as their vote bank. “But that will not happen now. Jan Suraaj has taken the initiative to create awareness among these sections of society,” he said.

He also said that he decided to join Jan Suraaj by principles set by the organisation, which is set to take the shape of a full-fledged political party on October 2. The organisation has avowed to work for betterment of Dalits, Backwards and women, he asserted.

Yadav has a long political career. He became MLA for the first time in 1977. He, however, quit the seat for former chief minister Karpoori Thakur. In 1996, he became a union minister and made provision for providing wheat and rice at rate of Rs.2 and Rs.3 respectively for the poor.

He further revealed that he was forced to resign from the post of union minister when he supported the candidate of Mulayam Singh Yadav for Prime Minister’s post.

“Lalu Prasad got annoyed with me over my decision to support Mulayam’s candidature as PM, which led to my departure from union minister,” he disclosed.

The former union minister also alleged that socialist leaders were strategically sidelined by some people who usurped power by claiming themselves to be disciples of RM Lohia, Karpoori Thakur, JP and other socialist icons. “We will get rid of such people with the support of common masses,” he added.