New Delhi: Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered case against Lalu Prasad Yadav and family, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs will meet on Monday to discuss the political situation in Bihar.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also called an all party meeting of its legislators on Tuesday in which he might compel Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav to step down from his post. After three days in Rajgir, Nitish returned to Patna on Sunday and went straight to 1 Anne Marg residence without speaking to media. Though Kumar is yet to break his silence on the CBI raids, sources in the JD(U) reportedly said that it would be an “ideal situation if Tejashwi Yadav himself offers to step down” during a meeting of RJD legislators.
Yesterday, Nitish Kumar's Lok Samvad Programme, which was scheduled to be held today has also been postponed citing former's health reasons. A press release issued by the state government stated that the chief minister is suffering from fever and therefore, the Lok Samvad Programme has been postponed. However, it has been speculated that he is avoiding sharing space with Tejashwi as well as media in view of the recent CBI raids.
Earlier, Opposition leader Sushil Modi while talking to media had said,"If Tejaswi Yadav does not resign, my appeal to JD(U) leaders is to mount pressure on Nitish Yadav and get the work done. I will appeal the leader of RJD and JD(U) to show courage and ask Tejaswi Yadav to step down from the post of Deputy Chief minister."
The CBI on Friday registered a corruption case against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.
The RJD supremo, however, refuted the allegations against him and called it a political conspiracy hatched by the BJP.
While conducting raids at Lalu Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti's premises yesterday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered and seized various incriminating documents, electronic devices including mobile phones.
However, this is not the first time Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) has refused to support Lalu. Earlier in May, Nitish denied to comment when CBI raided 22 properties of the RJD supremo in Delhi and Gurugram.
