News Analysis India

Tag: RJD

  • Lalu Yadav vindicated, imposed fined of Rs 600 in a Model Code of Conduct violation Case

    By Express News Service

    RANCHI: In a major development, RJD a special MP/MLA Court vindicated RJD Chief Lalu Yadav in a case related to violation of the Model Code of Conduct dated back in 2009 at Jharkhand’s Palamu. He, however, was imposed a fine of Rs 6000 by the court.

    A case under IPC sections 188, 279, 290, 291 and 34, and section 127 of the Representation of People’s Act was registered against the RJD chief in Garhwa after his chopper diverted and landed in a paddy field allegedly owing to a mistake of the pilot instead of the scheduled helipad in Medininagar (Palamu) during the 2009 Assembly Polls in Jharkhand. The case was later transferred to Ranchi and then to Medininagar.

    “The case, related to the violation of model code of conduct against Lalu Yadav, has been disposed of after imposing a fine of Rs 6000 on him,” said Yadav’s advocate Virendra Kumar Singh. He has been freed from all charges now, he added. 

    Notably, Yadav had reached Palamu on Monday, two days ahead of the date of hearing in the court and was staying in the government circuit house during which he met his party workers and leaders.

  • Sushil Modi poses five questions before Lalu family after CBI raid

    Express News Service

    PATNA: A day after CBI raid at 16 locations of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family members, former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday sought a reply from the RJD supremo on five questions linked to the land for job scam during his tenure as railway minister.

    Sushil Modi, who has been critical of Lalu and his family for a long, said, “Is it not true that former union minister Kanti Singh and former state minister Raghunath Jha had donated their houses in Patna and Gopalganj, respectively in lieu of ministerial berths?”

    He posed another question seeking a reply on how Lalu and his family members got ownership of 141 plots of land, over 30 flats and more than half a dozen houses in Patna and its suburbs. 

    “How did he get ownership of TISCO’s guest house located near Patna airport?” he asked.

    Similarly, questions related to plots of land worth crores of rupees donated to Rabri Devi and her daughter Hema Yadav by Hridyanand Choudhary and Lalan Choudhary, who worked at Lalu’s ‘khatal’ (cowshed), were also raised.

    While Lalan worked as a grade IV employee of the Bihar Legislative Council, Hridyanand served as a group D employee of the Indian railways. 

    The names of the two also figured in the fresh case registered by the CBI in connection with the ‘land for job’ scam.

    Sushil Modi also sought to know why a senior politician Shivanand Tiwari (now in RJD) had approached the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking a CBI probe against Lalu in 2008. 

    “And now when the CBI has initiated action, why there is fuss and issue being given political colour,” he asked.

    On Friday, the investigating agency conducted simultaneous searches at 16 locations of Lalu and his family members in Patna and Gopalganj districts in Bihar and Misa Bharti’s residence in New Delhi.

    The raiding team recovered a pen drive during the search operation at 10 Circular Road residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi in Patna on Friday.

    The CBI action has generated much heat in the political circles in the state.

  • ‘CBI officials misbehaved with Rabri Devi’: RJD hits out at probe agency

    A CBI team had early in the morning raided the 10, Circular Road residence of Rabri Devi who has been named as accused in a fresh corruption case lodged by the investigating agency.

  • ‘No census in Bihar till caste count’, threatens RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Bihar’s main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has threatened not to allow any census in the state unless head count of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was conducted in the state along with those from the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes.

    Raising the old demand of caste based census in the state, RJD’s defacto supremo accused the BJP of having mindset of ‘anti-social justice’ and blamed Union MoS Home Nityanand Rai and the saffron party for ignoring the unanimous demand of the state’s political parties.

    He alleged that the BJP displayed an ‘anti-social justice’ mindset by getting Union Minister Nityanand Rai, incidentally an OBC from Bihar, to give a written statement in the parliament that the government will not take up a head count of social groups other than Dalits and Tribals in Bihar.

    “The proposal was sent to the centre after passed by both Houses of the state legislature twice. But Rai in his written reply expressed the centre’s inability to concede the demand of caste census in Bihar,” he added.

    Nityanand Rai, the BJP MP from Ujiyarpur Lok Sabha constituency, is being projected as one of the front runners of probable contenders for the chief minister’s post in the case BJP was given an opportunity after Nitish’s exit.

    Moreover, Rai belongs to the same Yadav community, which RJD’s chief ministerial candidate belonged to.

    Taking a swipe at CM Nitish Kumar, the RJD leader said that Nitish had in February this year said that the process would be initiated after holding deliberations with senior leaders of all political parties. However, the matter was thrown to the cold storage, he added.

    He said the CM had agreed to conduct the caste census from its own resources after formal denial  by the union government. Both BJP and JDU strongly countered the RJD’s allegation and said that he should know the nuances of the contentious issue.

    BJP leader and agriculture minister Amrendra Pratap Singh said Tejashwi lacked proper information. “Nityanand Rai has nothing to do with the caste based census,” the BJP minister said. “This is not a simple issue, which can be taken so lightly. It needs a good deal of exercise. There is no doubt when Nitish Kumar has made it clear that the caste census will be done in the state. He should have patience,” JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar said.

  • Fresh charges filed against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in Bihar court

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Trouble for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad seems to be far from over. On Wednesday, charges were framed against him in Bihar’s Hajipur court in connection with a case related to violation of election commission’s model code of conduct and inflammatory remarks at a public meeting.

    Lalu Prasad is currently undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, after being released on bail from Ranchi high court in connection with the Doranda district treasury excess withdrawal case, an off shoot of multi-crore animal husbandry scam in undivided Bihar. Lalu is a named accused in a case lodged with Ganga Bridge police station in Vaishali district.

    The case relates to the violation of the model code of conduct and instigating people at a public meeting during assembly polls at Terasia village near Hajipur on September 27, 2015. The case was lodged on the written complaint of then circle officer Niranjan Kumar, who was deployed at the venue of the public meeting as a magistrate. On October 2, 2015, the investigating officer submitted the chargesheet in the case. The court took cognisance on February 11, 2019.

    On April 18 this year, Lalu was deposed before the court through a video conferencing system. Though Lalu denied the charges levelled against him, charges were framed by the court on Wednesday. “Now the trial will start in the case,” an assistant public prosecutor said.

    Meanwhile, RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said that Lalu Prasad is likely to visit Patna on April 30. He will be released from AIIMS-Delhi on Thursday and leave for Patna after staying at his eldest daughter Misa Bharti’s Delhi residence for a couple of days.

  • RJD leader alleges assault by Lalu’s son Tej Pratap at Rabri Devi’s Iftar

    By PTI

    PATNA: High drama was witnessed at the RJD headquarters here on Monday when an office-bearer of its youth wing arrived announcing that he was resigning in protest against alleged misbehaviour of Tej Pratap Yadav, the mercurial elder son of national president Lalu Prasad.

    Ramraj Yadav, who heads the city unit of Yuva RJD, alleged that he was stripped, beaten up and abused by Tej Pratap, with the help of his loyal supporters, inside the house of the latter’s mother Rabri Devi on Friday when the house of the former Chief Minister was teeming with visitors at an Iftar party she had hosted.

    ALSO READ: Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap to quit RJD soon

    The visitors included the top brass of RJD besides Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, state industries minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and former LJP president Chirag Paswan, among others.

    “I was assigned to look after the arrangements at one of the numerous tents put up inside the bungalow. Tej Pratap got furious upon spotting me, though I was there armed with party communication. He took me inside a room where his men took off my clothes and beat me up”, alleged the party leader. 

    He claimed that Tej Pratap kept egging on his henchmen while Ramraj was being humiliated and that he even got the entire episode videographed.

    “I challenge Tej Pratap to come out in public with the video. People will see his real face. He used expletives, not just against me, but (younger brother) Tejashwi Yadav and even (father) Lalu Prasad”, alleged Ramraj who claimed that he had brought the matter to the notice of Tejashwi and state unit president Jagadanand Singh.

    “Tej Pratap had threatened to get me killed. He even named a party MLA with criminal antecedents whom he intended to pitch in for getting me bumped off. My hair still stands on end when I recall the entire episode. The party leadership seems to be in no mood to act. So here I am with my resignation”, said Rajaram.

    RJD sources were, predictably, tight-lipped over the episode which comes as the latest controversy surrounding the maverick elder son of the party’s founding chief.

    In active politics for less than a decade, Tej Pratap has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, ranging from his personal life to his run-ins with those active in the party.

    Tejashwi, the RJD heir apparent and the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, who is often himself at the receiving end of his elder brother’s tantrums, was asked about the episode by journalists.

    He chose to hurry past, muttering under his breath that the matter will be investigated.

    Meanwhile, the BJP which has always been quick to fish in troubled waters whenever the temperamental Tej Pratap courts a controversy, promptly came out with a reaction.

    BJP OBC morcha national general secretary and state spokesperson Nikhil Anand underscored Rajaram’s contention that Yadavs were ill-treated in the RJD, notwithstanding the fact that its first family belonged to the caste.

    “It seems Tej Pratap has a grouse against Yadavs who are well-educated, particularly those hailing from Patna district”, said Anand, himself a Yadav, who also recalled the instances involving former Union minister and Ram Kripal Yadav and Sanoj Yadav, both of whom are now with BJP.

    Ram Kripal Yadav was seen as Lalu Prasad’s Man Friday until he broke ranks in 2014, fought on a BJP ticket and defeated his former mentor’s daughter Misa Bharti.

    Popular in Patna since he was the Deputy Mayor decades ago, Ram Kripal is said to have been upset over the treatment he received from the RJD supremo’s elder son.

    Sanoj Yadav had quit the party in 2017 after Tej Pratap, then the state health minister, had beat him up at an Iftar party hosted by Prasad, who was then out of jail.

  • Bihar CM Nitish Kumar attends opposition RJD’s Iftar party, triggers political row

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday attended a Dawat-e-Iftar organised by main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) at former chief minister Rabri Devi’s residence at 10, Circular Road, in Patna, triggering a political row.

    Leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti were among those seen sitting beside Nitish who was seen talking to Tejashwi and exchanged pleasantaries on the occasion.

    Nitish’s attendance Iftar party hosted by RJD took place a day before Union Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Jagdishpur in Bhojpur district to attend Veer Kunwar Singh ‘vijayotsava’. Moreover, it happened at a time when the relationship between the BJP and JDU is sour.

    Both BJP and JDU have been at loggerheads over plethora of issues ranging from prohibition, caste-based census, law and order to state BJP leadership. Sources also said that Nitish walked from his official residence in 1 Anne Marg to the venue.

    Earlier, working chairman of Bihar legislative council Awadhesh Narain Singh and state industries minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain paid a visit to the party.

    The Iftar party has been organised at Rabri Devi’s residence after a gap of five years. Last week, Nitish had hosted an Iftar party at his 1 Anne Marg residence, which was attended by a host of ministers, MLAs and MLCs.

  • Preparations complete for Bihar MLC polls in 24 seats on April 4

    By Express News Service

    PATNA: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the election to be held in 24 local authorities constituencies of the Bihar legislative council on April 4.

    The voting will start at 8 am on 534 polling booths and conclude at 4 pm. Around 1,34,106 electors will decide the fate of 186 contestants in the fray.  The counting of polled votes will be conducted on April 7.The campaigning came to an end at 4 pm on Saturday. The polling process has to be completed by April 11 as per the instructions issued by the state election commission on March 2.

    The highest 14 candidates are in the fray from Saharsa-Madhepura-Supaul constituency followed by Munger-Jamui-Lakhisarai-Sheikhpura (13), Katihar (08),Bhagalpur-Banka (07) and Purnea-Araria-Kishanganj (07), respectively.

    While BJP is contesting 12 seats, its ally JDU on 11 and one seat has been left for Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) of union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.

    While RJD, on the other side, has fielded candidates in 23 seats, one seat has been offered to its left ally-CPI. Mukesh Sahani led Viakssheel Insaan Party has fielded candidates in seven seats.

    Sahani was sacked from the Nitish Kumar cabinet following political differences with BJP early this week. What has come as a severe jolt to the BJP is that Sahani declared to extend his support to the seats being contested by the JDU.

    Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan is also trying its luck in the election. The RJD’s old ally Congress is also contesting the election solo. The grand old party has fielded 15 candidates. The alliance with the RJD discontinued ever since the RJD and the Congress contested by-polls to Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur assembly seat held last year.

    In 2015, when sitting MLCs were elected to legislative council, JDU and RJD were a part of Grand Alliance (GA). The JDU broke out from GA in 2017 and formed the government with BJP. 

  • Congress ready for showdown with RJD; announces candidates for MLC polls in Bihar

    By PTI

    PATNA: The Congress on Saturday came out with the names of its candidates for eight out of 24 seats in Bihar legislative council for which polls are scheduled next month, in a clear signal to domineering former ally RJD that it was unwilling to go down without a fight.

    The list of eight candidates was issued by AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik with the approval of party president Sonia Gandhi, with whom RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s excellent personal rapport has proved to be of no avail.

    Polling is scheduled for the 24 seats on April 4.

    Among the seats for which the Congress came out with names of its candidates is West Champaran (Mohd Afaq Ahmed).

    The Congress had won the seat in 2015 but its MLC Rajesh Ram crossed over to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) last year.

    “We understand this is the first list. More names, for other seats, are expected shortly”, state Congress media in-charge Rajesh Rathore told PTI.

    The RJD, which had rebuffed the Congress in October last year when it fielded its candidates for by-polls to two assembly polls ignoring protestations of the latter, is contesting 23 seats, leaving one for the Left.

    The Congress-RJD alliance in Bihar, which has been in place for more than two decades despite minor ups and downs, is going through a rough patch since the assembly elections of 2020.

    The Grand Alliance comprising the two parties besides CPI(ML), CPI(M), and CPI put up a better than expected performance but fell short of a majority.

    The Congress was singled out for its poor performance as it had contested 70 seats but could win less than 20.

    Things reached a flashpoint during by-polls for Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan assembly segments.

    There have been speculations in a section of the media that the RJD has been cross with the Congress over the induction of CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar who is seen as a potential rival to Prasad’s son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav.

    Terms of the 24 seats had expired in July last year but the elections were delayed since fresh panchayats and urban local bodies could not be elected within time on account of the COVID pandemic.

    Half of the two dozen poll-bound seats had been won by the BJP last time.

    Its alliance partner, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), had eight.

    The RJD held two while another seat was won by an independent candidate.

    The NDA has its own share of problems with smaller allies Vikassheel Insaan Party, headed by minister Mukesh Sahni and Hindustani Awam Morcha of former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi expressing resentment over being ignored.

    The NDA is yet to announce its candidates, though it has come out with a formula of seat-sharing wherein the BJP will be contesting 13 seats while the JD(U) will fight the remaining 11.

  • Lalu Prasad’s health condition serious but stable: RIMS

    He was sentenced to five years' prison term and slapped with a fine of Rs 60 lakh during the day in connection with the embezzlement of Rs 139 crore from Doranda treasury in the fodder scam.