BJP warns Lalu Yadav against making false allegations over CBI raid

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday warned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav against making false allegations on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah for the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon in connection with a case linked to a hotel maintenance contract awarded by him when he was the Railway Minister in 2006.

Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson S. Prakash said, "Many corrupt deals have been exposed in the last four-five months, wherein Lalu and his family were found to be doing corrupt practices. We all know that Lalu is an established corrupt convict and accusing the Central Government of vendetta politics is a ridiculous charge that he is making. Has he forgotten that he has been convicted in the fodder scam and has also been to jail for which he is not ashamed? Instead of making such wild allegations and charges, he should come out and explain how he mastered Rs 100 cr property in a span of 12 years during his tenure as a Chief Minister".

Yesterday, Lalu Prasad Yadav held Prime Minister Modi and BJP president Amit Shah responsible for the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon.

Lalu said that he would eradicate the BJP for interfering in the grand alliance of his party with the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), adding he would do everything to break the arrogance of Prime Minister Modi.

"With illogical statements, the BJP Government is trying to destroy the alliance of the RJD and the JD(U). We will eradicate the saffron party as they are trying to interfere in our alliance. Listen Modi and Amit Shah, I and the public will break your arrogance even if I have to get hanged for that," Yadav told media here.

"I have made you (Prime Minster Modi) walk away from Bihar and you are trying to create disturbances in our alliance. I will break your arrogance," he added.

He added that there was no reason to involve Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav in the investigation as his wife is "not even a public servant."

The CBI, earlier in the day, registered a corruption case against Lalu; Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The CBI later questioned Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav.

The case was registered on the allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of Hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a Private Company dealing with Hotels in the year 2006.

The investigative agency also conducted searches at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon and other places.

These raids have comes weeks after the Income-Tax department searched locations in New Delhi and adjoining areas in regard with corruption charges against Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar.

The RJD chief, however, brushed aside the allegation and tore into the BJP, saying that it was a political conspiracy against him.

Meanwhile, Bihar Additional Director General of Police S.K. Singhal said an alert has been issued across the state to prevent any possible political ramification amid the CBI raid on RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

He further said that police is also patrolling in some of the sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents.

The alert was issued from the Bihar Police headquarters to all police posts cautioning them of possible protests and retaliation from RJD supporters across the state.

-ANI