Lalu's cattle test advice for BJP leaders spawns controversy

RJD chief Lalu Prasad's suggestion to party workers to deploy old, non-milking cows outside the houses of BJP leaders to see if they really cared for the animal has triggered a controversy in Vaishali district, where a BJP leader has filed a complaint in a court.

Some RJD workers tied two old cows to a pole in front of the residence of the Vaishli district vice-president of BJP's Kisan Morcha, Chandeshwar Kumar Bharti, at Bishunpur Arara village.

The village falls in the Mahua Assembly constituency represented by Lalu Prasad's elder son and minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

The BJP leader, who alleged that the RJD workers had perpetrated violence against him, filed a complaint in a court last Saturday.

Bharti had on May 6 filed a case in the CJM's court against Lalu Prasad and four others alleging that he had been beaten up and that Rs 2,000 was looted from him at the behest of the RJD chief.

He alleged that when he opposed the deployment of cows they not only beat him up but also snatched Rs 2,000 from him.

"The RJD workers told me to feed the cows properly and take proper care," Bharti submitted.

After a brief hearing on Saturday, the CJM transferred the case to Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate VI court which would hear the matter on May 19.

Lalu had on May 4 while addressing RJD National Executive meeting at Rajgir asked his party men to tie old non-milking cows in front of BJP leaders' houses to substantiate his allegation that the BJP and the RSS were using cow protection as an excuse to garner votes.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi pooh poohed Lalu Prasad's appeal, saying "when he and his party workers claim to be greatest lovers of cows, why do they want to leave the cattle in front of our doors then after harnessing its milk for years."

RJD spokesman Pragati Mehta said that Lalu Prasad had merely issued the appeal to test if the BJP leaders acting as cow vigilantists truely loved cows, but the BJP leader in Vaishali was trying to create unnecessary controversy.