Lalu Yadav with his grandchildren (@RohiniAcharya2)

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has drawn sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after videos of him celebrating Halloween with his grandchildren surfaced on social media on Saturday.The BJP accused the former Bihar chief minister of hypocrisy, pointing out that he had earlier termed the Maha Kumbh festival “meaningless”.

The party’s Kisan Morcha, in a post on X, said, “Don’t forget, people of Bihar, this is the same Lalu Yadav who had called the grand festival of faith and spirituality Maha Kumbh useless and is now celebrating the festival of Halloween. Those who attack faith will not get votes from the people of Bihar.”The videos were shared by Lalu’s daughter and RJD leader Rohini Acharya, who posted pictures of the family’s Halloween celebrations with the caption, “Happy Halloween to everyone.” The visuals showed Yadav posing for photos with his grandchildren dressed in costumes.Halloween, observed annually on October 31, is one of the most popular festivals in Western countries. Its roots trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the close of the harvest season and the onset of winter – a period once thought to dissolve the boundary between the living and the dead. In modern times, the celebration features costumes, trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, eerie decorations, and themed parties.Lalu had sparked a row in February this year after he called the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj “faltu” (meaningless). Asked about the large crowds attending the religious gathering, he had said, “The Kumbh has no meaning… It is just meaningless.” His comment came while reacting to a stampede at the New Delhi railway station that left 18 people dead and several injured as passengers rushed to board trains bound for the religious congregation.Asked about the massive crowds travelling to Prayagraj and measures for crowd management, the RJD chief had said, “Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faltu hai Kumbh (Is there any meaning to Kumbh? It is just meaningless).”The remarks triggered strong criticism from the BJP and several Hindu religious leaders, who accused Yadav of politicising the tragedy. Bihar BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma said the statement reflected the RJD’s “mindset towards Hinduism”, while deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha charged the RJD leader with insulting Sanatana dharma and engaging in politics over the deaths.The fresh exchange between the BJP and RJD comes just days before the Bihar assembly elections, with polling scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11 for the 243-seat assembly. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.