Behaviour of Nitish Kumar at PM’s function gives rise to suspicion about Bihar CM’s ‘mental health’: Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday (October 5, 2025) alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s “erratic” behaviour at a function of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day ago has given rise to fresh suspicions about his “mental health” and “the ability to run the government”.

Mr. Yadav, a former Deputy CM who is now the leader of the opposition, shared on his X handle a video of the function, held at New Delhi, which the chief minister has attended virtually from his residence.

“Can this mental state of the CM be blamed on his close aides who may be spiking his food at the instance of alliance partner BJP?”, Mr. Yadav asked in his social media post.

Later, talking to reporters, the young leader said, “For quite some time, the CM has been behaving in a manner that shows he is not in the proper state of mind. He has made crude remarks about my mother Rabri Devi, a former CM herself, besides women in general. Once, he was caught on camera fooling around while the national anthem was being played in the background”.

“Yesterday we saw another example of his erratic behaviour”, said the RJD leader, referring to the video footage in which Kumar can be seen staring with folded hands, at his computer screen even as senior BJP leader and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary read out his speech.

Mr. Yadav said, “Clearly the CM no longer has the ability to run his government. A syndicate is calling the shots and it will be exposed soon”.

Reacting sharply to the opposition leader’s charge, Neeraj Kumar, MLC and spokesman of JD(U), headed by the chief minister, said “Nitish Kumar is the one who has restored the political, social and economic health of Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav would do well to worry about his own ailing father Lalu Prasad, the RJD president”.

Mr. Yadav was also asked about a press conference addressed here by Union minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, who had alleged that lawlessness and corruption were rampant during the 15 years when Bihar was ruled by Lalu Prasad, and subsequently, by Rabri Devi.

The RJD leader replied, “The BJP has been sharing power in the state for 20 years. It has accomplished little and has no vision for the future. Hence, it is maligning its opponents”.