You should trim your beard and get married, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav advised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday at a media briefing of the leaders after the Opposition meet concluded.

Lightening the mood during an otherwise serious press conference, Lalu Yadav said, “Rahul Gandhi didn’t follow my suggestion earlier. He should have married before. Abhi bhi time hai, shaadi kar lijiye (There is still time now, get married).”

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In his first major interaction with the media in a long time, Yadav praised Gandhi’s efforts against the Adani group in Parliament and his countrywide Bharat Jodo Yatra and said the Congress leader had grown his beard. He told Gandhi, “Now don’t grow it out much,” leaving leaders in the room in splits.

The RJD chief added that the former Congress chief and Rahul Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi also wants him to get married. “Your mother (Sonia Gandhi) was saying that you do not listen to her and that we should get you married,” Lalu said.

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‘Am fit and will make Narendra Modi fit’

At the media briefing, Lalu Prasad Yadav said, “Now I am fully fit and will make Narendra Modi fit. The country’s situation is grim at the moment. We will meet again in July in Shimla to prepare an agenda on how to move ahead together while working in our respective states to fight BJP in 2024.”

The Opposition leaders, who met today for the first Opposition meet in Patna, have decided to meet again next month in Shimla to decide on the further course of action.

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Leaders including All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin attended the meet.