A defiant Tejashwi Prasad Yadav alleged on 12 July that the FIR against him is “political vendetta” by BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They are bringing up cases of 2004 against me. I was 13-14 years old then. How could a kid do all this?
“The alliance is strong and will not break. BJP will get a fitting reply,” Tejashwi added.
Amidst the political uncertainty in Bihar, JD(U) leaders met with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on 11 July.
This meeting came after the RJD’s announcement that Tejashwi will not resign as deputy chief minister of Bihar. The party said CM Nitish Kumar spoke to Lalu Prasad Yadav over the telephone after the CBI raids at the properties attached to the latter’s family.
Speculation was rife that Tejashwi would be asked to resign in the wake of the CBI FIR against his family for allegedly accepting a plot of land in Patna in exchange for tenders to two businessmen for the maintenance of two railway hotels, while Lalu Prasad Yadav was railway minister in 2006.
On 10 July, Kumar cancelled his weekly Lok Samvad programme and press conference, citing ill-health.
"The Lok Samvad programme, which was scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday), stands cancelled due to an indisposition of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar," said an official release, adding that the JD(U) chief was down with fever. The cancellation fuelled speculation that he was avoiding the media in the view of the CBI raids on Yadav’s family.
Lok Samvad, Kumar’s weekly public interaction programme, is aimed at gathering ideas to strengthen sushasan (good governance) and gaining feedback on the implementation of development schemes.
While Kumar has maintained a studied silence on the issue of raids on Lalu's family, ally Congress has expressed solidarity with the RJD chief and accused the central BJP government of "misusing" the official machinery.
(With inputs from PTI and The Times of India.)
(We all love to express ourselves, but how often do we do it in our mother tongue? Here's your chance! This Independence Day, khul ke bol with BOL – Love your Bhasha. Sing, write, perform, spew poetry – whatever you like – in your mother tongue. Send us your BOL at bol@thequint.com or WhatsApp it to 9910181818.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)