Lalu Prasad & family being tortured for forming govt with Nitish Kumar: Lalan Singh

PATNA: JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh said RJD president Lalu Prasad and his family were being “tortured” by the central agencies for formation of Grand Alliance government in Bihar which saw the BJP out of power with Nitish Kumar joining hands with the rival camp in August last year.
“Bihar me jo Mahagathbandhan bana uska khamiyaja hai.Isliye ki koi sakshya nahin hai usme (They are paying the price for allowing formation of a grand coalition in Bihar. There is no evidence against them),” Singh told a Hindi news channel on Thursday, referring to Lalu and his family members. He said the CBI probed the land-for-job scam twice in the past but failed to get any evidence against them in the case.
According to Singh, the case was first handed over to the CBI in 2008 but it closed the case after failing to get any evidence during preliminary investigation. “When Mamata Banerjee became the railway minister, she also handed the case over to the CBI for investigation and this time again it closed the case with its “No evidence available” note, he said.
“Now when Nitish Kumar joined the Mahagathbandhan and the RJD warmly welcomed him, then from where did the CBI suddenly get the evidence?” asked the JD(U) chief, adding, “Ab achanak se kahan se sakshya mil gaya, bhai? Wahi CBI hai?”
“In earlier times, the kings when failing to discharge their duty properly would initiate punitive actions against their rivals in a bid to calm down people’s anger. Now, the same has been adopted by the present regime at the Centre,” he alleged.
In sharp contrast to the JD(U) chief, Nitish has been mysteriously silent over the quizzing of Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi by the CBI in the case recently, triggering speculations in the political circles. On earlier occasions, Nitish had promptly reacted but this time he seems to have maintained studied silence, baffling political pundits. “Dekhte na rahiye aaplog aage kya-kya hota hai,” was how Nitish had reacted after the CBI raid on three RJD leaders in the case on a day when the Nitish-led government backed by seven parties, including the RJD, went for floor test in the Bihar assembly in August last year.