Nelson Mandela once said, “There is no greater crime than to stand in a position of authority and to use that authority to steal the public’s money.” If you were to evaluate any Indian politicians based on this statement, it would be difficult to overlook Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family.
However, this is not an isolated case; nearly all regional parties are now associated with corruption. By “regional,” I mean that over the last five decades, the majority of states have been governed by leaders from regional parties who rose to power by advocating for the cause of the people.
The fight against emergency and the subsequent shift in political discourse were no less than a revolution. But the irony is that the ones who fought for socialism and the cause of people have become the richest family in the state, with each member holding a constitutional position at the cost of common people.
ED takes charge of the land-for-job case
If we specifically talk about Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family automatically come under question. After Lalu gained power, Bihar almost lost its civilizational glory and became infamous under the judiciary-coined term “Jungle Raj.” But people never gave up hope, and that is why, when Tejaswi Yadav commenced his political career, a faction was envisioning a shift in Bihar politics towards development. But it was just a dream that might never be fulfilled.
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate has raided Bihar’s deputy chief minister, Tejaswi Yadav’s house in Delhi. The house was searched in connection with the land-for-job case in which his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, is principally accused. The raid by the ED comes days after the CBI grilled his parents.
In a series of events, firstly, the former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi, was quizzed by the CBI on March 6 at her residence in Patna. The Bureau officials questioned her for almost 4 hours, during which Tejaswi and other party members staged a dharna alleging misuse of central agencies by the center.
Also read: How Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar threw Bihar six decades back in their 3 decades of misrule
What the Yadav family is good at
This is the modus operandi of the Rashtriya Janta Dal. When they were in power, they exploited each and every resource of the government for their own benefit. And as a result, the condition of Bihar deteriorated. When their black chapters started to unravel, they blamed the central government for using investigation agencies. By doing so, they actually try to cover up the extortion they committed. Lalu and his family are very good at staging dramas when questioned legally.
A day after that, the CBI questioned Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was also interrogated regarding the case. Soon after Lalu’s questioning began, his daughter, Rohini Acharya, alleged in a series of tweets that the 74-year-old leader was being harassed. She said, “I will not spare anyone if anything happens to him. You are troubling my father; it is not right. All this will be remembered. Time is powerful and has great power.”
Also read: Nitish Kumar is cooking up the biggest U-turn in Bihar politics and BJP is ready
What is a “land-for-job case
In May 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a corruption case against Lalu, Rabri, and their daughters, Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav. The case alleged that they accepted plots of land in exchange for jobs during Lalu’s tenure as Union Railways Minister.
The FIR regarding the case named a total of 16 people. Apart from Lalu and his family, the 12 people who got jobs in the railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur were also accused.
According to the investigation agency, approximately 12 individuals from Patna were appointed to Group D posts in the Railways while Lalu was the Union minister. In return for these appointments, the accused allegedly received seven plots of land in the city and elsewhere at a significantly reduced price. The plots were said to belong to the families of those 12 individuals.
Furthermore, The Indian Express reported that the RJD chief’s family acquired over 1 lakh sq. ft. of land for Rs 26 lakh. However, the land was valued at more than Rs 4.39 crore based on the circle rate at that time. The CBI revealed that three of the seven land sale deeds were executed in favor of Rabri; one was in Misa’s name, one was in favor of M/s AK Infosystems, a company in which Rabri purchased the majority of shares in 2014, and two were gift deeds in Hema’s name.
Interestingly, Lalu Prasad Yadav is hailed by the opposition leaders as one of the best railway ministers of all time. And it looks like the reality of such claims is surfacing. But it is not only the railway department that is exploited by Lalu Prasad Yadav. Lalu Yadav is also convicted in the fodder scam.
Also read: Bihari migrants are paying for Tejashwi’s politics with their lives
Lalu’s fodder scam
Bihar’s Animal Husbandry Department officials collaborated with suppliers and contractors to carry out the fodder scam, an elaborate scheme to defraud the public. False invoices for livestock supplies were created, and fictitious numbers of livestock were recorded to justify fraudulent expenditures.
The embezzled funds were diverted to personal accounts, resulting in the loss of over 950 crore (US$133 million) over several years. The fraud was finally exposed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and several officials, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, the then CM, were subsequently convicted.
The web of corruption is so dense that the whole economy of Bihar paid the price at the time when Lalu was in power. Now, after the unveiling of the land-for-job scam in the railways, Lalu Yadav’s another chapter of corruption is unfolding. Lalu will have to pay for what he has done to the people of Bihar. Although his party leaders claim that he made the railroad a profitable department, if this is the cost, then the question is: what is the worth?
Also read: Once, Owaisi was ready to change the dynamics of Indian politics. Then happened Bihar.
Tejashwi will pay with his career
What Lalu did, he will get justice for that; the important question is raised on Tejaswi Yadav’s career. During the first time when he was deputy CM, he was accused of corruption, due to which CM Nitish Kumar broke the alliance and formed a government with the BJP.
And for land-for-job cases too, it seems like he is under the ED radar. In India, it is always said that the debt of the ancestors is always paid by future generations. But it must not be understood that Tejaswi is paying for his past sins. Actually, he is also alleged to be involved in many corruption cases.
So, the reality is that Lalu Yadav, in his entire life, ran a business of corruption, thereby creating acceptance in the entire family. So much so that his entire family thinks that it is their birthright, and so they protest any fact-based legal investigation. But Tejaswi Yadav must understand that the times have changed and now people are more aware. And so, it is Tejaswi Yadav’s career that will pay the cost.
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