Bihar Govt withdraws Z+ security of Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, RJD hits back
The RJD wasted no time in hitting back. Party spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav called the decision "disgusting and politically motivated" and accused the ruling alliance of using administrative tools to intimidate the opposition rather than engaging with it on democratic terms.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsFormer Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has sent back every security personnel deployed at her Patna residence after the state government withdrew the Z+ cover provided to her and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, a decision her party has condemned as deliberate, politically motivated and unbecoming of a democratic government.
The decision to return the guards, taken on Saturday at the family's official residence at 10 Circular Road in Patna, was described by the RJD as a formal act of protest. The Bihar government, led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, had recently reviewed security arrangements for several political leaders. Under the revised assessment, the Z+ cover for both Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi was withdrawn, while Tejashwi Yadav's Y+ cover was left intact. Security for Tej Pratap Yadav and other family members was also revised.
The RJD wasted no time in hitting back. Party spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav called the decision "disgusting and politically motivated" and accused the ruling alliance of using administrative tools to intimidate the opposition rather than engaging with it on democratic terms.
"The government has deliberately and drastically reduced the security of the Lalu family. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav was recently hit by a vehicle. Despite that incident, the reduction in security raises questions about the intent behind this decision," Yadav said.
He argued that the move was particularly troubling given the public standing of those affected. Rabri Devi serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council and is a former Chief Minister. Lalu Prasad Yadav, himself a former Chief Minister, remains one of the most prominent political figures in the state. Yadav suggested that other RJD leaders who hold government-provided security might also consider returning it in solidarity.
The spokesperson did not hold back in framing the broader stakes, saying the ruling party appeared intent on eliminating the opposition altogether. "First, a controversy was created over housing, and now the issue of security has been raised. The public mandate determines the roles of both the ruling party and the opposition, and any attempt to weaken the opposition is against democratic values. They want to eliminate the opposition, to bulldoze it," he said.
He also issued a pointed warning to the government. "If anything happens to the leaders of the public, the people of Bihar will not forgive you," Yadav added.
The RJD maintained that the party's strength rested with millions of ordinary supporters across Bihar and that no reduction in official security arrangements would diminish its role as the principal opposition. What began as a routine security review has, in the space of a day, become one of the sharpest flashpoints yet between the ruling alliance and the opposition in the state.
(With IANS inputs)