Unlike Nitish, I won’t surrender before BJP: Lalu

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday left Patna for Ranchi so that he could surrender before the lower court there on Thursday.

The Jharkhand High Court, while refusing to extend his provisional bail on health grounds, had asked him to surrender by August 30.

“I will surrender before the court on Thursday. I have full faith in the judiciary. I am hopeful to get justice from the High Court/Supreme Court, as the conviction by the lower court is not the last verdict. In fact, I have been framed by the CBI, ED and Income Tax authorities at the behest of the Centre as I had been raising voice against the autocratic approach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Let them slap me with as many cases as they want. But I am not Nitish Kumar who will buckle and surrender before the BJP,” said Lalu.

The RJD chief, who was recuperating at Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai after undergoing fistula surgery, returned to Patna earlier this week and reached Ranchi on Wednesday evening to abide by Jharkhand HC directive.

Lalu also expressed his concern over the arrest of activists across the country.

“All those who have been arrested are intellectuals and eminent writers. To brand them as urban Naxals and put them behind bars is akin to imposing Emergency. The problem with Modi Government is that anyone who raises his/her voice against the authoritarian approach of this government, he/she is stifled,” said Lalu.

He exuded confidence that all non-BJP Opposition parties would unite before 2019 elections and give the BJP a resounding defeat.

“The media should not worry much about the prime ministerial candidate of the Opposition. Once the result is declared, we will amicably elect a leader,” said Lalu, speaking for the first time after the court put a ban on him from making public statements.