"How's Lalu-Ji?": At Caste Census Meet, PM's Chat With Tejashwi Yadav

Sources say the delegation was surprised as PM Modi asked Tejashwi Yadav several questions about his father before getting down to the agenda of the meeting.

As he met with a Bihar delegation including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav today over their demand for a caste-based census, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started off by asking after RJD leader Lalu Yadav's health. Sources say the delegation was surprised as PM Modi asked Tejashwi Yadav several questions about his father before getting down to the agenda of the meeting and Nitish Kumar's presentation. Lalu Yadav, 73, has been in and out of the hospital because of a respiratory problem. He also has other ailments including a kidney condition and cardiac problems. The Rashtriya Janata Party (RJD) chief was admitted to Delhi's AIIMS hospital in January while he was serving a jail term for corruption. He was released on bail in April. He spent much of his sentence at the jail hospital in Jharkhand's Ranchi.