RJD targets Sushil Modi, Ram Surat Rai as it intensifies attack on the BJP

At a time when many leaders of Opposition parties are facing the heat of Central probe agencies across states, the situation seems to be changing in Bihar where some BJP leaders are in the target list of the RJD, which recently allied with the JD(U) to form the government in the state.

BJP leaders like Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi, MLA Neeraj Kumar Bablu, and former Land Reforms and Education Minister Ram Surat Rai are in the target list of the RJD.

Sushil Modi is facing the charge of land grab, Neeraj Kumar Bablu is facing charges for disproportionate assets, while Ram Surat Rai is facing charges of transfer-posting of circle officers while he was a state minister.

Last Friday, RJD MLA Ramanand Yadav had levelled serious land grab allegations against former Deputy CM Sushil Modi. He said that Sushil Modi is the most 'Dabang' and 'Bahubali' leader of Bihar who grabbed the land of a Christian family and constructed a mall.

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"Sushil Kumar Modi is the biggest 'Dabang' and 'Bahubali' leader of Bihar. He grabbed lands in Lodipur and Khetan market. We will investigate the properties registered in the names of his wife, brother and brother's wife and himself," Yadav said.

"There are two persons owning the land in Lodipur and one of its owners is living in Delhi. Still Sushil Modi, while being the Deputy CM, forcibly grabbed the land of the Christian family. There was a teacher training institute in the premises. We will investigate the matter," Yadav said.

However, Sushil Modi claimed that he or his family has nothing to do with these two lands. He also challenged the RJD leader to prove his connection in these two cases.

"I challenge the RJD leader to prove my connection with these two lands. If it is proven, I am ready to give them to Lalu Prasad's family. If the RJD leader cannot establish my link in this case, I want him to apologise publicly. And if he fails, I will file a defamation case against him," Sushil Modi said.

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Former Environment and Forest Minister Neeraj Kumar Bablu is facing the charge of having disproportionate assets, which the Income Tax Department is investigating. Sources have said that RJD leaders are behind the scene for the inquiry against the BJP leader.

Bablu, during the 2020 Assembly elections, had allegedly hidden his assets in his affidavit filed with the Election Commission. An official of the I-T Department said that he had reportedly filed his I-T return for 2020-21 hiding his actual income.

As per the official, the I-T Department had detected Rs 25 lakh unaccounted assets in 2011-12, while in 2015-16, the unaccounted assets stood at 9.64 lakh. In 2017-18, the department found Rs 55.84 lakh unaccounted assets. If his guilt is proven, the department may impose fine on him ranging from 100 per cent to 300 per cent.

Ram Surat Rai, the former Land Record and Revenue Minister, is facing charges of transfer-posting during his tenure as a state minister.

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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar found something fishy in the transfer and posting of 149 circle officers, settlement officers and consolidation officers of these two departments. Accordingly, the CMO recommended the same to the Governor of Bihar for the cancellation.

Kumar had cancelled the transfer and posting of 149 officers in land record and revenue department, while the RJD slammed the then double-engine government of NDA and JD(U), saying that transfer-posting industry is flourishing in Bihar.

The land record and revenue department was under the charge of Ram Surat Rai, who came under BJP quota in the Nitish government. Rai had issued four notifications for the transfer and postings of 149 officers on June 30 this year.

Former BJP Deputy CM Tar Kishore Prasad is also facing charges of favouring his family members in the allotment of the government project 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jal Yojana'.