JD(U) leader slams Tejashwi on promise to Pasi community on Toddy; questions his intentions

Patna, April 28 (IANS) A day after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav promised the Pasi community which is engaged in Nira (palm sap) production, that toddy made from the sap would be excluded from the Liquor Prohibition Act if the Mahagathbandhan government comes to power, JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar launched a sharp attack, questioning whether toddy is an "intoxicant or a vitamin."

Speaking to the media in Patna on Monday, Neeraj Kumar said, “Tejashwi Yadav has destroyed the constitution of the RJD made by his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav. As per the RJD constitution, anyone who consumes intoxicants or alcohol cannot become a party member. Now, Tejashwi Yadav is encouraging the Pasi community to drink toddy.”

Neeraj Kumar further mocked Tejashwi by challenging him to prove the health benefits of toddy.

“Tejashwi owns a 43-bigha property in Patna where naturally, some palm trees must be present. Palm trees are also available at the 10 Circular Road residence where he stays. I ask him to drink toddy from those trees, undergo a medical examination, and then tell the people whether toddy increases calcium, vitamins, or proteins in the body, or if intoxicants are found in his blood,” Kumar said.

Neeraj Kumar defended Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s welfare initiatives for the Pasi community, highlighting that real efforts have been made to uplift them economically.

Nitish Kumar’s government has provided Rs 2 lakh per family for alternative employment opportunities, cattle farming, and agriculture-based livelihoods.

As many as 32,938 families have benefited from these initiatives, with 71 per cent of those involved in Nira production belonging to the Pasi community.

“We are concerned about the overall well-being of the Pasi community. In contrast, Tejashwi seems more focussed on how they could continue drinking toddy,” Neeraj Kumar claimed.

On Sunday, during the Toddy Businessmen Mahajutan programme in Patna, Tejashwi Yadav announced that if the Mahagathbandhan government is formed after the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, toddy will be removed from the liquor ban list and cases against toddy traders would be withdrawn.

--IANS

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