Patna: 

Hum toh aise hain bhaiyaan... Lalu Prasad Yadav

While Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss tries to crack down on tobacco consumption, his own Cabinet colleague, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, is still chewing on the idea.

Lalu was recently seen endorsing tobacco shops while laying the foundation stone for a railway factory in Bihar's Chhapra.

Claimed Lalu, "Paan , biri, cigarette aur Hazipur ka kela, ye sara bikri hoga yahan (Beetle, cigarettes and bananas will be sold here)."

Tobacco alarm

This, when tobacco usage in Bihar has reached alarming proportions, especially among students.

Lalu's comments are unlikely to go down well with Ramadoss, who has been a vociferous advocate of stricter tobacco laws and for a ban on sale of tobacco products.

Ramadoss had recently said, "We have seen a WHO survey, which shows that 41.2 per cent children in Indian schools tend to use tobacco products."