A fresh political faceoff has erupted in Bihar after the family of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav returned all security personnel deployed at their Patna residence, days after the Bihar government significantly scaled down the security cover of several members of the Yadav family.
The move, described by the RJD as a protest against a politically motivated decision, has further escalated tensions between the ruling NDA government and the RJD-led opposition Mahagathbandhan.
Sources told, Lalu Yadav and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi directed all security personnel stationed at their 10 Circular Road residence in Patna to leave.
Security teams, including Bihar Police personnel deployed for the RJD chief and his family, were reportedly sent back as a symbolic protest against the government’s decision.
The Bihar government has maintained that the changes were part of a routine review conducted on the basis of threat perception assessments.
However, RJD leaders have alleged that the move was intended to politically target the Yadav family and diminish the stature of key opposition figures in the state.
Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav also reportedly returned the Y-plus security cover provided to him as a mark of protest, although officials clarified that there was no change in his security arrangement.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav on Saturday staged a protest outside the 10, Circular Road residence. Sitting outside the bungalow gate, the former MLA said the Yadav family was upset over what he described as "repeated insults by the government" and asserted that RJD workers would now take responsibility for their leaders’ safety.
"The government wants our leaders to be killed. But we will try to ensure their security on our own, Shakti Yadav said. He also linked the issue to the recent allotment of the 10, Circular Road bungalow to BJP minister Nand Kishor Ram, a move Rabri Devi had strongly opposed.
RJD leaders questioned the timing of the decision, arguing that both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi continue to command significant public support and regularly draw large crowds at political events.
The party also cited concerns over Bihar’s law and order situation, claiming that reducing security for senior opposition leaders sends an inappropriate message.
The controversy began earlier this week when the Bihar government revised the security arrangements of several VIP protectees.
Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, who were earlier protected under the Z-plus category, had their security cover withdrawn following an official review.
According to a government notification, the two former chief ministers will now receive security from the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP).
Officials said their current arrangement includes house guards from the BSAP, bodyguards from the Patna District Force, and access to a pilot vehicle and bulletproof car.
The review also affected other members of the Yadav family. Tej Pratap Yadav’s Y-category security was withdrawn and replaced with a single bodyguard.
MP Misa Bharti was provided security comprising three personnel, while Tejashwi Yadav’s wife, Rajshree Yadav, received one security personnel. Tejashwi Yadav’s Y-plus security remained unchanged.
Reacting strongly to the development, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya criticised the government in a post on X.
She wrote on X, "There is no justification whatsoever for maintaining a facade of security after the reduction in security cover. The decision by the government of the Chief Minister, who himself has been accused in seven murder cases, to cut the security of Lalu ji and Rabri Devi ji is a decision taken with the sole intent of causing harm and physical injury to Lalu ji - Rabri Devi ji and their family".
While the Bihar government and NDA leaders have rejected allegations of political vendetta and described the exercise as a standard administrative review, the opposition continues to portray it as an attempt to politically isolate the Yadav family.
With both sides hardening their positions, the security row has emerged as the latest flashpoint in Bihar’s increasingly charged political landscape and is likely to remain a subject of political confrontation in the days ahead.
Source: India Today
