A former Indian chief minister has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not being a ‘real’ Hindu as he did not follow a key ritual on his mother’s death.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has served as Bihar’s chief minister and also as India’s minister for Railways, made the accusation while addressing a rally in Patna.

Yadav claimed that Modi did not get tonsured when his mother, Heeraba Modi, died in December 2022.

Hindu customs require men to shave their heads when their mothers pass away.

Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party have been identified with a brand of Hindu nationalism in India, which has led to a rise in communal tensions in one of the world’s most populated countries.

This year, Modi inaugurated the Ayodhya Temple which was constructed at the site of a Mughal era mosque. The temple marked a major Hindu nationalist demand in India.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also present at the rally along with many other opposition politicians.

Political activity is heating up in India as the country heads to general elections which are scheduled in May this year.

Modi, who has been PM of India since 2014, is looking to get another term in office. Meanwhile, opposition parties are trying to put up a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party to stop a third consecutive term in power.

One of these is the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar, which is being headlined among others by Lalu Prasad Yadav.