Bihar CM raises questions, Lalu unfazed by raids

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has raised questions on the raids that were conducted to check benami land deals involving Lalu Yadav and family.

Mr Kumar said, “Purpose of the raid is still not clear and there is confusion on the location of the raids as well.” Sources said that Nitish Kumar’s statement came after Mr Lalu Yadav took a veiled jibe at Nitish Kumar by congratulating the BJP “on the new alliance partner” through a tweet.

His message was apparently directed at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who in a statement on Monday, said that the Centre was free to carry out the probe in benami land deals involving Lalu Yadav and his family.

Unfazed by the I-T raids on Tuesday RJD chief Mr Lalu Yadav had summoned senior party leaders to draw strategies to counter BJP, which had earlier produced documents to expose dubious transactions and Benami land deals involving his family members. Through a series of tweets, Mr. Yadav slammed the BJP for using central agencies against him. He said, “BJP doesn’t have the courage to stop Lalu Yadav. If you try to suppress my voice I will only emerge even stronger as people understand everything. I am not scared of hollow threats”. In another tweet he wrote, “Educated illiterates must also say on which 22 locations raids were carried out. Sarkari Tote (government’s parrots) must come out with the truth as I am not scared of people funded by BJP. I will continue to fight against fascist forces.”

Earlier BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had alleged that Mr Lalu Yadav’s family had used several shell companies for the dubious land deals. When asked whether he gave documents to central agencies, Mr Sushil Kumar Modi said, “The raids were conducted after Nitish Kumar broke silence on the issue. As far my role is concerned, I have not sent any documents to any Central investigating agency.”