The Raghopur boat tragedy, which killed 13 people—mostly children—has triggered angry protests against Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav during his visit to the affected families in Vaishali district, with villagers demanding answers over boat services and communication facilities in the area.
Yadav visited Raghopur on Wednesday night, a day after the tragedy, to meet families who lost their children. According to a report by Times of India, grieving villagers surrounded the RJD’s national working president, raised slogans and called for his resignation as MLA if he could not address their problems.
Some villagers also pushed towards Yadav during the protest, while others shouted, “If you can’t solve our problems, then resign.” Despite the demonstrations, Yadav proceeded to the homes of families affected by the boat tragedy.
The protests focused on the lack of proper arrangements for boat services and communication in the area. The demands have brought attention to the role of local transport and connectivity systems in a riverine constituency where residents depend on boat services for movement and access.
Raghopur has been a stronghold of Yadav’s family for more than three decades. His parents, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and former chief minister Rabri Devi, represented the constituency for multiple terms. Yadav has represented Raghopur for three consecutive terms since 2015.
A video of the visit circulated on social media, showing villagers surrounding Yadav and raising slogans. The report said the anger was also shaped by the visits of political rivals, including Union ministers Chirag Paswan, who is also president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and Nityanand Rai of the BJP. Both had reached the area before Yadav to express sympathy with the affected families.
Yadav defended his delayed visit by saying he had been in Delhi for an opposition protest concerning what it described as the “murder of democracy and vote theft”. He said he travelled to Raghopur as soon as he received information about the boat tragedy.
On the incident, Yadav sought a high-level probe and strict action against those responsible. On Thursday, a group of grieving villagers also met Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in search of assistance. One villager told the media in Patna that Lalu Prasad had assured them he would do whatever he could for them. The report did not provide details of any official investigation or immediate changes to boat operations.
