After a Delhi court Friday framed charges against RJD supremo and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and Bihar ex-CM Rabri Devi, and their children in the alleged land-for-jobs case being investigated by the CBI, the RJD reiterated that it was “political vendetta to tarnish” Lalu’s image even as ruling alliance partners BJP and JD(U) welcomed the court’s decision.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, who ordered the framing of charges, including against Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti, said, “There are strong indications that Lalu Yadav and his family members were operating as a criminal enterprise… to usurp land.”
RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta termed the central agencies “as a tool of political vendetta” and said, “The conviction rate of CBI, ED and Income Tax cases is less than one per cent. Most cases crash-land in appellate courts. We are not surprised but surely dismayed at the framing of charges in the case, especially since the case was quashed twice. The case was filed afresh for the third time. It is a pure case of political vendetta and a bid to tarnish the image of Lalu Prasad, who will not be cowed down by such actions.”
JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, however, told The Indian Express that the framing of charges was not surprising since “CBI has enough material evidence”. “Lalu Prasad had accepted land from his close relatives including his brother. We request the court to expedite the trial. Once conviction comes, the government should open schools, hostels and shelter homes on the seized properties,” he said.
Neeraj Kumar claimed that because charges were framed, Tejashwi Yadav has returned to India from “holidaying abroad” following the Bihar poll debacle.
On the lines of JD(U), BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said that charge-framing means the prosecuting agency has “enough evidence against Lalu Prasad and his family members.”
During the proceedings at the Delhi court, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap were seen together but avoided talking to each other.
