Fodder scam: Lalu violated norms, cancel bail, says Bihar BJP

Patna: The BJP on Saturday demanded cancellation of RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s bail on grounds that he has been trying to influence officials in Bihar.

Lalu Yadav is a fodder scam convict and was granted bail in December 2013. The demand was made by senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi after an audio tape exposed Mr Yadav’s close nexus with mafia don Mohammad Shahabuddin, who is now languishing in Delhi’s Tihar jail.

“The audio tape shows that he violated bail guidelines, the state government must immediately move the court for his bail cancellation,” Mr Modi said on Saturday in Patna.

Stepping up the heat on Nitish Kumar government over the leaked telephonic conversation tape between Lalu and Shahabuddin, BJP leaders on Saturday took the matter to the governor’s doorstep and submitted a memorandum.  

“Chief minister Nitish Kumar and the DGP must clarify their stand on the issue because this is not the matter of RJD only, the entire grand secular alliance government is answerable,” Mr Modi said.

The party accused the Nitish Kumar government for not taking strict measures to maintain law and order in Bihar.

Speaking on the issue, Mr Modi said, “Close nexus between criminals, politicians and the government has pushed the state into a situation where criminals are now running a parallel government”.

Mohammad Shahabuddin has been convicted in 10 cases while as many as 40 criminal charges are still pending against him, including an acid attack case in which he had allegedly killed two sons of a local businessman in Siwan and murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.

This was not the first time when opposition parties questioned Shahbuddin’s close relationship with Lalu Yadav and his party RJD. In September 2016 after he was granted bail Shahabuddin had created ripples in the political circles by terming Nitish Kumar “a chief minister of circumstances” while Lalu Yadav praised him.

Shahabuddin was shifted to Tihar in February after a selfie of his had gone viral in January. The photograph had raised questions about the security system of the Siwan jail.

Reacting sharply to the allegations JD (U) spokesperson Niraj Kumar told this newspaper that, “questions being raised by the opposition are baseless as the situation is quite different. Nitish Kumar government is known for good governance and it was our government which had challenged his bail in Supreme Court and Shahabuddin was shifted to Siwan jail. Secondly, the SP is also still posted in Siwan”.