An FIR has been lodged against Union Minister and BJP MP Giriraj Singh, in a land grabbing case.
The Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has been charged with grabbing over two acres of land in Danapur, on the outskirts of Patna.
"A case of forgery and criminal conspiracy has been filed against the Union Minister and 32 others," said the Senior SP (SSP) of Patna, Manu Maharaj. The case has been registered following an order of the Patna district and sessions court. A complainant Ram Narayan Prasad had alleged in the court (Case no: 498/17) that 60 decimals of his ancestral land was illegally grabbed by the named accused using forged documents.
Giriraj and others have been booked under Sections 419, 420, 423, 467, 468, 469, 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), besides Section 120 (B) and other Sections of the SC/ST Act.
Following registration of an FIR (No 54/2018) against Giriraj, who was also in the news a couple of years ago for keeping cash to the tune of Rs 2 crore at his home, the RJD has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack his ministerial colleague immediately. "What honesty do you talk about when one of your minister grabs land of Dalits. Kindly look into the matter or Giriraj might send these poor Dalits to Pakistan," tweeted former Deputy CM, Tejashwi Yadav, in Hindi. His jibe was in an apparent reference to Giriraj's remarks during Lok Sabha poll campaign when the BJP leader said those opposing Modi should go to Pakistan.
Tejashwi also hit out at Nitish and asked the Bihar CM whether he will continue his alliance with the BJP. "Where has your morality gone now. Do you have any answer?" asked Tejashwi calling 'Antaratma Babu' (Mr Conscience) to take a stand just like he did in July last year.
Nitish in July 2017 had dumped the grand alliance saying his conscience did not allow him to work with his deputy Tejashwi after an FIR was lodged against the RJD leader in a corruption case.
"You had promised land to the Dalits. But here one of your alliance partners - a BJP minister - is grabbing land of Dalits. Will you break alliance with the BJP?," Tejashwi was unsparing in his attack on Nitish on Thursday. He also hit out at Bihar's Deputy CM Sushil Modi for keeping mum on Giriraj Singh's issue.