RJD issues notices to Bhojpuri singers for ‘offensive’ songs that ‘tarnished’ party’s image during Bihar election

After the debacle in recently concluded Assembly election in Bihar, the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal now has issued notices to as many as 32 Bhojpuri singers asking them why legal action should not be taken against them for their offensive songs released during the election period. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA leaders too had taken a jibe over these songs played during poll meetings in Bihar warning people of “return of jungle raj”.

“The RJD has issued notices to as many as 32 Bhojpuri and other dialect singers for songs taking the names of the party and its leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav, without permission to defame the party and its leaders during the election. If a satisfactory response is not given, the party will take legal and defamatory actions against them,” said an RJD leader and spokesperson requesting anonymity.

Some of such singers come from outside the State. When asked who they are, the RJD leader refused to reveal their names saying, “You can check their name through jackets of the video songs…they were not only offensive but distasteful as well.” He further said, “It seems these songs were sung by the singers at the behest of some people to defame the RJD and its leaders during election time.” He added, “The decision to serve notices to these singers were taken at the party’s review meeting over the unexpected defeat in the Assembly elections.”

When the election results for the 243-member State Assembly were announced on November 16, the RJD, the principal Opposition party, had won only 25 seats of the 143 it contested under the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) coalition. However, the party had got a sizeable vote share of 23%.

‘Songs neither commissioned nor authorised’

During the election period, some of these songs in Bhojpuri and other regional dialects went viral on social media, putting the RJD in a bad light. Composed independently, these songs apparently caught instant attention of young voters to “defame the party and its leadership”, said another party spokesperson, Mrityunjay Tiwari. Songs such as …marab sixer ke 6 goli kapar mien…chhati me, power hola khali Ahir jaati main (will shoot six bullets to the head…chest, this power resides only in Yadav caste), …bhaiya ke sarkar, banenge rangdar (if power comes to bhaiya (Tejashwi Yadav), [we] will become ruffian) …bhaiya ke aawe da satta, kata sata ke utha leb ghar se (Let the government of bhaiya (Tejashwi Yadav) come to power, [we] will pick you up from your house at gun point) went viral on social media during the election. “These ridiculous songs mentioned the names of the party and its leadership without any commissioning or authorisation,” Mr. Tiwari said.

Party sources, however, told The Hindu that some of the Bhojpuri singers had even received the RJD notices, which has asked them to provide “proof” that they had permission to use the names of the party or its leaders in their songs. “Yes, the party may file defamation suits as well against them,” said the party leader who sought anonymity. One of the video songs even portrayed the RJD candidate from Chhapra in Saran district, Kheshari Lal Yadav, in a casteist manner suggesting “Yadav caste supremacy”, said Mr Tiwari. “All such offensive songs instantly caught the fancy of young voters which definitely had tarnished the image of the party during the election,” the RJD spokesperson rued.

Prime Minister Modi, in one of his poll meetings at Bhabhua in Kaimur district on November 7, had even made references to some of these songs which he claimed reminded people of the State of erstwhile “jungle raj”. Later, the ruling NDA leaders too occasionally used to make references to such “offensive” Bhojpuri songs, taking a jibe that “the songs suggest, if they (RJD-led alliance) come to power, jungle raj would come in the State”. “Yes, these songs had put our party RJD in a very bad light and had impacted our prospects in the election,” admitted several RJD leaders in the State, who demanded that “action be taken against them (the singers)”.