Saying that some people take pleasure in degrading Bihar, Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed a large crowd at Swabhiman Rally in Patna, Bihar on Sunday. She shared the stage with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in what is being seen as a crucial political battle for the BJP-led NDA and its rivals.

Thousands of supporters of the grand alliance, comprising the RJD, the JD-U, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, are expected to attend the mega rally at the city's historic Gandhi maidan.

The Swabhiman rally will be the first after the grand alliance of the RJD, JD-U, Congress and Samajwadi Party. After years of bickering, both Lalu and Nitish have joined hands to defeat the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the state in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The Swabhiman rally has been organised by Nitish and Lalu to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "arrogance and repeated insult to Bihar". 

Updates:

3:50 pm: Lalu Nitish ikhatta aagaye toh boley ki Bihar ki kanoon vyavastha kharab ho gayi .Abhi kya haalat hai Gujarat ka,batao na Modiji?:Lalu Yadav

3:49 pm: Lalu ko smart city nahi, smart gaaon chahiye: Lalu Prasad Yadav

3:40 pm: Logon ne kaha ki hum par tanaav ban raha hai ki Lalu Yadav ka bail cancel karaake jail bhej diya jaaye: Lalu Yadav

3:37 pm: Yadav logon ko bewakoof samajhta hai? Yadavon ko jab bhains nahi patak saki toh ye Narendra Modi patak dega?: Lalu Yadav

3:33 pm: Ramdev bola tha logon ko hum yoga aasan karenge. Jab police aayi toh 'koodaasan' kardiya. Ladki ka kapda pehen ke bhaaga: Lalu Yadav

3:19 pm:

3:12 pm:

2:45 pm: Police in Delhi is controlled by Modi ji; there is less crime in Bihar as compared to Delhi: Nitish Kumar

2:40 pm: Pehle waale PM kum bolte the, aadat thi unki kum bolne ki. Ye aaye hain jo bolte hi rehte hai, kissi ki sunte nahi: Nitish Kumar

2:36 pm:

2:31 pm: Mere DNA ko gadbad kaha? Mai kaun hoon? Mai aapka hoon: Nitish Kumar

2:29 pm: Kaala dhan wapas laane ki baat karte the, janta kay bank mai daalne ki baat karte the. Arre bahuni to kar dete?: Nitish Kumar

2:25 pm: Aaj PM kay mann ki baat nahi thi, desh ki janta kay mann ki baat thi: Nitish Kumar on land acquisition ordinance

2:20 pm: Aaj hi Modi ji ko jhukna pada hai, jo land acquisition ordinance laaye the uspe apne kadam wapas lene pade... Chale the Bihar ko lalkaarne, aaj ghutna tekna pada: Nitish Kumar

2:17 pm:

2:14 pm: Our "mahagatbandhan" is founded on the idea of walking the path of development: Sonia Gandhi

2:13 pm:

2:11 pm: Earlier PM used to challenge issues related to Pak, now when things on border are unstable whats his policy regarding Pak?: Sonia Gandhi

2:10 pm:

2:09 pm: Modi sarkar kisaan virodhi sarkar hai... Desh ki janta kay saath saath, Bihar ki janta ka vishwas PM se uth chuka hai: Sonia Gandhi

2:08 pm: Uss vaade ka kya hua jo PM ne kiya tha ki yuvao ko naukri denge? Vyapam se laakhon yuvao ka bhavishya nasht hua: Sonia Gandhi

2:08 pm: Congress has always respected Bihar. And Bihar is developing under Nitish ji's guidance: Sonia Gandhi

2:07 pm: Kuch logon ko Bihar ko neecha dikhaane mein bahut mazza aata hai, kabhi Bihar kay DNA ka mazak udaate hain: Sonia Gandhi

2:06 pm: I know people of Bihar always stand up for their dignity. The crowd here proves that: Sonia Gandhi

2:05 pm: This land is the land that sends across the message of peace: Sonia Gandhi

2 pm:

1:52 pm:

1:50 pm:

1:15 pm:

1:10 pm:

1:07 pm:

12:20 pm:

12:16 pm:

During his Parivartan rally in Bihar's Muzaffarpur city on 25 July, Modi had questioned the DNA of Nitish Kumar. Modi has also addressed rallies in Gaya and Saharsa subsequent, and is scheduled to address the last one in Bhagalpur on 1 Sepetember, ahead of the Assembly elections.

"There seems to be some problem in his DNA because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In democracy, you give respect even to your political rivals," Modi had said.

Modi's remark did not go down well with Nitish who had said that Modi "insulted and humiliated all Biharis by questioning his DNA." 

In response to Modi's DNA remark, Nitish launched Shabd Wapasi campaign, as part of which over 50 lakh people will send DNA samples along with their signatures to Modi for tests, Nitish had said.

Both the RJD-JD(U) alliance and BJP-led NDA have indulged in a war of words ahead of the Assembly elections, which is scheduled to be held between September and November this year.

(Credit: ANI tweets)

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