As the CBI registers fresh cases against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and his son Tejashwi Yadav, the pressure is building on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Lalu Yadav and his family are being investigated for contracts he awarded in 2006 for maintaining heritage hotels when he was Union railway minister, wire agency PTI reported.
Nitish Kumar is under pressure to act since Lalu's son Tejashwi Yadav is currently the state's deputy chief minister. Soon after reports of the CBI searches surfaced on Friday morning, the Bharatiya Janata Party's senior leader in Bihar, Sushil Modi, demanded that Tejashwi be sacked, according to wire agency ANI.
Nitish Kumar should break his silence and sack Tejashwi Yadav as deputy CM: Sushil Modi, BJP on CBI FIR in Railway hotel tender case pic.twitter.com/dsOvc8DXw1
The Bihar chief minister has not responded to these demands but the studied silence of his party leaders on the action against their alliance partners is telling. Removing Tejashwi Yadav could make the alliance in Bihar untenable. The JD(U) won 71 seats in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections and formed the government in alliance with RJD, which won 80 seats and the Congress which won 27.
While Nitish Kumar keeps his cards close to his chest, Lalu Prasad has alleged "political vendetta" by the BJP-led central government.
Political vendetta ke tehet mere aur mere parivaar par lagatar hamle ho rahe hain, ye chahte hain hum BJP ke saamne jhuk jayen:Lalu Yadav pic.twitter.com/tjF63UN1ko
Responding to Lalu Prasad's charges, Senior BJP Leader and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the government "has no role to play" and the "law will take its own course".
The law is taking its own course, the govt or party has no role in it: Union Min Venkaiah Naidu on CBI investigation against Lalu Yadav pic.twitter.com/hjxqKkLqMe
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday morning carried out searches at 12 locations in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding the tender for maintenance of heritage hotels during Lalu Prasad's tenure as Union railway minister, wire agency PTI reported. The allegation is that the tender for maintaining these hotels was given in lieu of a bribe routed through benami companies.
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