Prime Minister V P Singh once again repeated this resolve of implementation of Mandal Commission from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15 same year. This was followed by a widespread agitation against this decision across the country. At a public function in Patna, a strong protest was staged against chief minister Lalu Yadav by Mandal – baiters. In open retaliation, “All opposition against reservation will be bulldozed off,” thundered Lalu. This was his first aggressive stance as the chief minister, which surprised his supporters and detractors alike. In next two-three days, during an anti-reservation agitation in Patna, Shailendra Sharma, a student of B. N. College, died in the police firing. All of a sudden, a malicious campaign was started by the newspapers and other communication mediums against Lalu which depicted him as a villain. All this happened when Lalu’s tenure as chief minister was just four months 27 days old. After this, for upper caste dominated bureaucracy, media, academics and feudal elements, he was a monstrous personality which had to be eliminated at any cost.