Samastipur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid homage to Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur in Bihar's Samastipur district, and he later met his family members.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also present.

Karpuri Thakur, a prominent socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar, is remembered for his dedication to social justice and the upliftment of marginalised communities. His policies, including reservations for backward classes, have had a lasting impact on the state.

This marks a significant moment in the election campaign. At 2 pm, PM Modi will address public rallies in Bihar, starting with Samastipur and then in Begusarai.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Friday, claiming that crime and corruption have increased in Bihar.

While pledging to rid Bihar of corruption and crime if elected, the RJD leader also claimed that the top five states in the nation ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have the highest crime rates.

Speaking to reporters in Patna, Yadav said, "We don't make broken, fragmented or false promises. We will do what we say... If Tejashwi Yadav becomes the Chief Minister, the people of Bihar will also become the Chief Minister. We will make Bihar free from crime and corruption..."

The RJD leader asserted that when scams are happening across the state and no action has been taken, that is called "jungle raj".

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"The Prime Minister himself listed 55 scams of Nitish Kumar. What action has been taken? When scams are happening and no action is being taken, that is jungle raj. There is not a single day in Bihar where there are no shootings, murders, looting, rapes, kidnappings...Uttar Pradesh has the highest crime rate in the entire country. Bihar is second. The top five BJP-ruled states in the entire country have the highest crime rate," Yadav told reporters.