Patna, May 23 : Independent MP from Bihar's Purnea Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, on Friday launched a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Bihar on May 29. The Purnea MP, without mentioning the Prime Minister's name, accused him of politicising national security.

Pappu Yadav made the remarks shortly after landing in Patna from Delhi, stirring fresh controversy in Bihar's political atmosphere, gradually warming up ahead of the Assembly elections. The remarks were in the context of Operation Sindoor, carried out by the Indian armed forces, targeted terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

The BJP has been claiming it as a major security success, and the topic has become a flashpoint for political discourse in the state.

'Now, Sindoor ka Saudagar has started coming to Bihar," Pappu Yadav said.

Pappu Yadav also criticised the rising crime in Bihar, alleging that criminals, the liquor mafia, and sand mafia are being given electoral tickets.

'How will crime reduce if you keep giving tickets to mafias'? he questioned, taking a veiled dig at opposition parties, including RJD.

Without directly naming Tejashwi Yadav, the Purena MP accused him of hypocrisy, pointing out that the RJD leader had remained allied with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for quite sometime but failed to curb crime during that period.

'First stop giving tickets to criminals, then talk about law and order,' he said.

In a significant political pitch, the Purnea MP declared that only Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could lead a viable opposition against the BJP in Bihar.

'Rahul Gandhi is the icon of the backward, extremely backward, Dalit and Mahadalit communities. The Bihar elections must be fought under his leadership if BJP is to be defeated,' he asserted.

PM Modi's upcoming visit to Bihar is expected to include the inauguration of key infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores, and political parties are ramping up the rhetoric as election season is approaching.

/IANS