Lalu Prasad Yadav Suffers Minor Injury After Stage Collapses In Patna

Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav suffered minor injuries during a religious event in Patna on Friday after the dais he was sitting on collapsed due to overcrowding.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief was attending a yagna - a religious ritual - in Patna's Digha area. He was accompanied by his sons Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, state health minister Tej Pratap Yadav and daughter Misa Bharti, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha.

In a video release of the incident, supporters of Mr Yadav were seen welcoming and greeting him on stage. A policeman was seen trying to control the crowd but the situation eventually got out of hand and the stage collapsed.

Following the incident, Mr Yadav was taken to IGIMS Hospital and he was eventually discharged after undergoing treatment. Later, he told reports that he had suffered a back injury.
 
This is not the first time that Lalu Prasad Yadav has been injured in such incidents.

At an election rally in Bihar's Motihari district in October, 2015, the former Union Railway Minister was slightly hurt after a ceiling fan fell onto the stage where he was sitting - narrowly missing him. Mr Yadav suffered minor injuries in his hand but stayed put.

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Later, addressing the rally, Mr Yadav said that no one could harm him as he had the blessings of Goddess Durga. But he also blamed the police and went on to demand a written guarantee that the stage would not collapse in the future.

"If it falls despite that, then they should go to jail," he exclaimed.

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Around the same time, at a rally in Arhwal, a portion of the stage on which Mr Yadav was sitting on collapsed.

(with inputs from PTI)