One of the many issues on agenda in the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislators meet was to counter BJP’s call to sack Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav from the cabinet.
Several legislators spoke in support of Tejashwi Yadav in light of the clamour caused by CBI raids on Lalu Yadav, family’s residences and FIR against Tejashwi for acquiring benami properties.
Senior party leader Jagdanand Singh informed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had called up RJD president Lalu Prasad last night but refused to divulge what transpired in the telephonic talks between them.
Kumar or the JD(U) has not commented so far on Friday’s CBI raids in four cities in connection with a corruption case, in which the RJD chief, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi are among the accused.
Senior party MLA Arun Yadav said that Tejashwi should continue as Deputy CM and even projected him as the next Chief Minister of Bihar.
“There is no need for Tejashwi Yadav to resign. He is the next CM of Bihar. CBI raids have been conducted to demoralise Lalu Yadav… manner in which freedom fighters gave a call of Quit Indian to Britishers, similarly we are also giving a call to PM Modi to quit India”, said Arun Yadav.
“Tejashwi Yadav has been a good leader and will always remain one,” the party said.
Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the RJD said, “There has been an attempt to fade us, but it will not happen. We will emerge like we have always in the past as well.”
It also categorically said there were no differences between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. The party said the former had called the latter yesterday and had asked about his well-being.
“There is a conspiracy to break the grand alliance, but the state government is very much in place and stable,” it said.
On Friday, the CBI had registered a corruption case against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son 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.
