Tejashwi quotes English daily to prove his & Lalu's innocence

Former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Friday quoted an English daily to argue how he and his father had been "implicated" in the land-for-hotel scam despite CBI saying that "there was no evidence against Lalu Prasad."

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi for being vindictive towards Lalu (and spreading canard about his family), Tejashwi quoted the newspaper report to buttress his point. "The newspaper report says that when the CBI's Economic Offences Division pressed for lodging of an FIR against Lalu Prasad in June last year (in land-for-hotel scam), the probe agency's legal wing (also known as Directorate of Prosecution) opposed it, saying that there was no evidence to show Prasad had influenced officials or that the land transfer was a quid pro quo," said Tejashwi.

In June 2017, Lalu was charged with handing over the running of IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotels Pvt Ltd after allegedly receiving prime land in Patna through benami company when he was railway minister in UPA-I.

"Lalu ji has always maintained that he had no role in this episode. Today, the newspaper report has vindicated our stand," said Tejashwi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly.

"The fact is that all these legal cases were used by Nitish Kumar as an excuse to sever ties with the RJD-Congress, and join hands with the BJP-led NDA. Had we too compromised with our ideology and succumbed to BJP's pressure tactics, chances are I would have been the Chief Minister of Bihar today," said Tejashwi lashing out at his opponents.

Meanwhile, reacting to a video which went viral in Araria where some youths are seen chanting slogans in favour of Pakistan after the RJD victory, Tejashwi said, "Let there be an investigation by the Forensic Lab whether it's a doctored video or not. Because the BJP has been hell-bent upon disturbing the communal harmony in the area. There is every possibility that the video could be a handiwork of anti-social elements who want to disturb the amity in Araria."