Lalu blames Nitish for security cover downgrade

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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Bihar Opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal’s chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday (June 17, 2026) held former Bihar Chief Minister and ruling Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar responsible for the downgrade of his security cover and the issuance of notices to vacate the family’s government-allotted residence at 10, Circular Road in Patna. Only recently, Mr. Prasad had returned from Singapore where he underwent a medical check-up.

“Yes, the security cover has been downgraded. It is all being done at the behest of Nitish Kumar,” Mr. Prasad said when media persons asked him about the downgrade of security cover and the vacation notices. He was seated in his vehicle and did not elaborate further.

In Bihar, Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) is part of the ruling coalition with the BJP.

Of late, his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi was served notices to vacate her official residence at 10, Circular Road, where the family lives for over two decades. The bungalow has now been allotted to Nand Kishor Ram, a minister in Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s Cabinet. Ms. Devi has been allotted another official residence at 39, Harding Road. Recently, she had sought more time to vacate her residence citing the poor health of Mr. Prasad and required arrangements being made for him at the new residence.

Mr. Prasad and Mr. Nitish Kumar have had a love-hate political relationship between them. Mr. Kumar had come out of Mr. Prasad’s companionship in 1994 and formed a different political party named Samata Party in 1994. In November 2005, Mr. Kumar dethroned Mr. Prasad and his party from power and became the Chief Minister of the State. He continued in the post till April 2026 when he resigned in favour of BJP’s Samrat Choudhary to become the Chief Minister. His son Nishant Kumar became the Health Minister in Mr. Choudhary’s Cabinet and was recently allotted a sprawling bungalow at 5, Deshratna Marg. Mr. Choud