The Raghopur boat tragedy, in which 13 people were killed, mostly children, has triggered anger over inadequate boat services and communication facilities in the Vaishali constituency, with villagers confronting Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav during his visit to the affected families.
Yadav visited Raghopur on Wednesday night to offer condolences to the families of those who died in the incident a day earlier. According to a report by the Times of India, grieving residents surrounded him, raised slogans and called for his resignation as MLA if he could not address their problems.
The protesters said the area lacked proper arrangements for boat services and communication. Videos of the visit circulated on social media, showing villagers pushing towards the RJD’s national working president and demanding accountability. Despite the confrontation, Yadav proceeded to the homes of families who had lost children in the tragedy.
The incident has placed attention on the basic transport and communication links serving Raghopur, a constituency connected to the political history of Yadav’s family. The seat has been held by members of the family for more than three decades. Yadav has represented Raghopur for three consecutive terms since 2015, while his parents, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and former chief minister Rabri Devi, have also represented the constituency multiple times.
The political reaction intensified after Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Nityanand Rai visited the area before Yadav to express sympathy with the affected families. Their visits added a political dimension to the public anger, but the immediate demands raised by villagers focused on local services and the response available to residents during emergencies.
Yadav defended his delayed visit by saying he had been in Delhi to attend an opposition protest over 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.
Yadav has sought a high-level probe into the incident and strict action against those responsible. The demand places the focus on the circumstances that led to the deaths, the availability and safety of boat services, and the institutional responsibility for emergency communication in the area.
On Thursday, a group of grieving villagers also met Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in search of help. One villager told the media in Patna that Lalu had said he would do whatever he could for them. The next steps will depend on the proposed high-level inquiry and any official action following the deaths.
