Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday spoke about central investigative agencies searching the homes of leaders of alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal – including deputy Tejashwi Yadav – in connection with the land-for-jobs scam.
“… this happened in 2017. Then we (Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and the RJD) went our separate ways… five years went by and, when we came together, raids occurred again,” he told reporters, shortly after news the Central Bureau of Investigation had called Tejashwi for a second straight day of questioning.
Later sources told news agency ANI Tejashwi may skip the summons as his pregnant wife, Rajshree Yadav, was in hospital after blood pressure problems.
Tejashwi had been summoned March 4 but did not appear as scheduled, after which the fresh date – for today – was given, officials told news agency PTI.
The JD(U) leader was referring to an earlier iteration of his party’s alliance with the RJD that broke down after CBI raids on Lalu Yadav over claims he rigged tenders when he was railway minister in the Congress-led central government.
Tejashwi Yadav was deputy CM at that time too but quit after he was named in the CBI’s case. His mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi was also named. After the raids the JD(U) broke off and allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Both Tejashwi and Rabri Devi have been questioned now in connection with the same case. Tejashwi was quizzed for over 11 hours Friday by the Enforcement Directorate and Rabri Devi was questioned by the CBI in Patna on Monday.
The searches at premises of Tejashwi and his sisters recovered ₹70 lakh in cash and over 1.5 kg in gold, as well as foreign currency worth over $US900.
Meanwhile, the CBI questioned Lalu Yadav for nearly five hours – across two sessions – on Tuesday at the Delhi home of his daughter, MP Misa Bharti.
The questioning and searches have been met with criticism with RJD leaders accusing the BJP of being ‘afraid of losing and (therefore) using agencies’.
The RJD has also been backed by JD(U) national president Lalan Singh, who alleged that pregnant women and children were being harassed.
“… CBI could not gather evidence after investigating twice… but after August 9, 2022 (referring to Bihar’s ruling JD(U) dropping the BJP and allying with the RJD), suddenly they started getting evidence from divine power…” he said.
The claim is also one made by opposition leaders under CBI/ED scrutiny and has been voiced over the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia.
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Tejashwi Yadav was one of nine opposition leaders who wrote an open letter to prime minister Narendra Modi on Sisodia’s arrest, on ‘misuse’ of agencies.
The fact Nitish Kumar did not sign the letter raised some eyebrows and spurred talk that all is not well, again, within the JD(U)-RJD alliance.
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The JD(U) and RJD – long-time off/on allies – hooked up again in August after Kumar walked out on the BJP that outperformed his outfit in the 2020 election; the JD(U) won 43 seats to 74 by the BJP’ and 75 by the RJD.
With input from ANI
