JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar accuses Lalu Prasad's family of 'usurping' poor's land in garb of 'donation'

MLC Neeraj Kumar's statement came after a Delhi court formally framed charges against Lalu Prasad and his wife, Rabri Devi, in the alleged land-for-jobs scam

Patna: JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar has alleged that RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family members "usurped" the land of poor people belonging to the backward classes in the garb of "donation".

His comment came after a Delhi court formally framed charges against Prasad and his wife, Rabri Devi, in the alleged land-for-jobs scam on Monday.

The alleged scam pertained to the period when the RJD supremo was the railway minister.

Speaking to reporters outside the Bihar Legislative Council, Kumar accused Prasad and his family of "usurping land in the name of donation from the poor belonging to backward classes".

"The under-construction private mansion of Lalu Prasad's family in Patna's Mahua Bagh locality is being built on a land registered in the name of his daughter Dhannu alias Anushka Rao, who bought the land for a meagre Rs 5.31 lakh. Several other plots were donated to the family members by poor people," the JD(U) leader alleged.

In a tongue-in-cheek remark, Kumar claimed that Lalu Prasad's family members were "BPL-type people" to whom even the "poor belonging to backward classes donated land".

"These poor people donated land so that he and his family members could somehow settle down in Mahua Bagh," the JD(U) leader said sarcastically.

"One Hridayanand Chaudhary bought land and gifted it to Hema Yadav. Lalan Chaudhary bought land and gifted it to Rabri Devi. Neelam Mishra sold land to Lalu ji's daughter Anushka Rao for just Rs 5.31 lakh. This family is a living example of corruption," the JD(U) MLC alleged.

RJD leaders could not be reached for their comments on these allegations.

Notably, Delhi court's Special Judge Vishal Gogne said the charge has been framed against Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, to which they have pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

On January 29, the judge granted liberty to Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, and some others to appear in person between February 1 and 28 for formal framing of charges.

Earlier on Monday, Kumar had accused Prasad, without naming him inside the council's house, of insulting the late Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur.

Referring to an alleged incident in the late 1980s, the JD(U) MLC spoke of "an RJD leader" who had "refused to lend his jeep to Thakur and claimed there was no fuel in the tank".