PM Modi At Bihar Scheme Launch: ‘We Should Not Forget The Days When RJD Was In Power’

With the elections to the Bihar Assembly due soon, political heat increased on Friday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched virtually the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana from Delhi.

While hailing the scheme for women's empowerment, PM Modi also used the occasion to hit out at the opposition, especially the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its president Lalu Prasad Yadav, charging them with leading Bihar into an era of fear and anarchy.

Remembering the RJD regime, PM Modi called it the 'lantern rule,' an era he had described as chaotic and tyrannical.

“We should not forget the days when the RJD was in power. Back then, Bihar was gripped by an atmosphere of anarchy, corruption, and fear. Our mothers and sisters suffered the most,” PM Modi said.

He depicted a sharp contrast with the state's current situation, drawing attention to problems in the RJD regime — ruptured roads, broken bridges, bad flood control, and expecting mothers running into hospitals in emergencies.

“Earlier, people lived in fear, and Naxalite violence was at its peak. Women were the worst sufferers. Today, no home is unsafe, and Bihar’s daughters feel free to step outside,” he added.

Attributing the credit to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership, PM Modi asserted that the double-engine government brought back law and order and transformed the infrastructure immensely.

“The return of law and order has benefited women the most. Today, women are becoming self-reliant and moving towards self-employment, with full government support,” PM Modi said.

He urged young women to attend a special exhibition of elderly newspaper clippings from the RJD era, referring to it as a reminder of the sufferings their parents went through.

“We will never let Bihar go into darkness again. Development and good governance are the only way forward,” PM Modi asserted.

The event also saw the inauguration of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which Rs 10,000 per woman has been directly deposited in the accounts of 75 lakh women to the tune of Rs 7,500 crore in the first phase. Successful start-ups will be eligible for support up to Rs 2 lakh subsequently.

In a message to Bihar's women voters, PM Modi compared himself and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to two brothers striving in the interests of the state's daughters.

“A brother will find happiness only when his sister is happy. In Bihar, your two brothers — Narendra and Nitish — are working for your prosperity,” PM Modi said, adding that the blessings of women during Navratri give him great strength.

Declaring the direct transfer "historic step" by the Nitish Kumar government, PM Modi attributed it to the Jan Dhan revolution launched in his first term.

“If we had not launched Jan Dhan Yojana 11 years ago and opened over 30 crore bank accounts, would we be able to send this money directly today? Earlier, a former Prime Minister admitted that when Rs 1 was sent from Delhi, only 15 paise reached the poor. Today, every rupee goes directly to your account.”

The Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, first proposed by Nitish Kumar, is a central scheme like the Lakhpati Didi campaign, Mudra Yojana, Drone Didi, and Insurance Sakhi, aimed at encouraging women towards self-employment.

“The Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana will further strengthen the Lakhpati Didi mission. So far, over two crore sisters have become Lakhpati Didis, and our target is three crore,” PM Modi said.

He also referenced the success of women-focused programmes such as Ujjwala Yojana, which has offered gas connections to crores of rural households, liberating women from smoke-choked kitchens.

“When a government makes women the centre of policy, the entire society benefits,” the PM stressed.

The speech is issued at a time of increased campaigning by both the NDA and Grand Alliance parties as Bihar heads toward the 2025 Assembly polls.