Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday for questioning in connection with the land-for-jobs scam. The ailing leader was grilled for nearly four hours at the agency’s Bank Road office in Patna, officials confirmed.
Yadav, who arrived at the ED office around 10:30 am, was accompanied by his eldest daughter Misa Bharti, an RJD MP from Pataliputra. After a prolonged interrogation, he left the premises quietly, waving to journalists from his car but choosing not to address any questions.
Meanwhile, scores of RJD workers gathered outside the ED office, raising slogans in support of their leader. The investigation into the land-for-jobs case has also implicated several members of Yadav’s family, including his wife Rabri Devi, elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, and younger son Tejashwi Yadav.
Family Under ED Scanner
On Tuesday, Rabri Devi and Tej Pratap Yadav were also interrogated by the ED for nearly four hours. Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, dismissed the case as politically motivated.
“The more we are harassed, the stronger we become. If I were not in politics, I wouldn’t have been targeted. I had predicted that after the Delhi assembly elections, agencies would turn their focus on Bihar,” he said.
Political Reactions
The case has sparked fresh political tensions, with leaders from both sides making strong statements. JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said Yadav was facing the consequences of his past actions.
“Lalu Prasad is reaping what he has sown. He was convicted in the fodder scam and disqualified from elections. The charge of political vendetta is bogus. Even the CBI charge sheet in the fodder scam was filed when Inder Kumar Gujral was the Prime Minister, a leader with whom Lalu Yadav shared good relations,” Kumar stated.
The land-for-jobs scam dates back to Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister during the UPA-I government. The case revolves around allegations that jobs in the Indian Railways were given in exchange for land parcels acquired at throwaway prices.
Sources By Agencies
