BJP steps up attack on Lalu, kin, calls him ‘Bihar’s Robert Vadra’

BJP leader Sushil Modi on Wednesday accused RJD chief Lalu Prasad of illegally acquiring over 125 properties through shell companies and other fraudulent means, calling him ‘Bihar’s Robert Vadra’.

“From being the son of poor parents, Lalu is now the biggest landlord in Bihar. I have been disclosing his family’s property details for the last 90 days. They have acquired more than 125 properties in the last 12 years without any real business or industry,” said Modi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, while using the name of Vadra, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, as a metaphor for corruption.

Vadra faces multiple enquiries relating to allegedly illegal property transactions.

Modi simultaneously delved into the wedge in Bihar’s ruling Grand Alliance, which comprises the RJD, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and the Congress, by asking the Chief Minister to break his silence on the corruption scandals allegedly perpetrated by Lalu’s family. He urged Nitish to act against his ally.

“By not acting against Lalu’s sons, both of whom are ministers in his government, Nitish Kumar is patronising corruption,” the BJP leader said.

However, Modi refused to comment on whether the Chief Minister’s friendly gestures towards his former ally, the BJP, were an indication of him deserting Lalu, who is mired in corruption scandals.

Lalu plans to organise a ‘Grand Alliance’ rally in Bihar on August 27, for which he has invited all Opposition parties. At a function to celebrate the foundation day of his party on Wednesday, Lalu said that if the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), both of which have indicated their willingness to attend his ‘BJP Bhagao (drive out BJP) Rally’, come together in Uttar Pradesh, it will be the end of the BJP in Hindi heartland.

The BJP, on its part, asserted that Lalu’s promotion of the Grand Alliance cause was essentially to save himself and his family against increasing allegations and investigations in illegal property transactions.

Modi also claimed that two senior RJD leaders had met two Union Ministers to request them to save the political career of Prasad’s sons – Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav. The request was, however, rejected. “Lalu Prasad destroyed his political career with corruption and conviction in the fodder scam. He is now ruining the future of his children,” Modi said.

He said most of these properties were acquired between 2000 and 2009, when either Prasad’s wife Rabri Devi was the chief minister, or he was the Railway Minister in the UPA government.