Connect with us
Friday,22-August-2025
Breaking News

Politics

‘Political vendetta’, RJD leaders question timing of CBI raids at Lalu prasad’s properties

Published

on

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Friday reacted sharply over the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in more than 15 locations of Lalu Prasad.

Sunil Singh, senior leader of the party and an MLC, slammed the CBI for conducting raids “on the direction of the Narendra Modi government”.

“Conduct raids at the places you want. You (CBI) will not get anything other than cow dung and Baba Ji Ka Thullu,” Singh asserted before the mediapersons in Patna.

“The act of CBI is a part of the political vendetta by the BJP to harass Lalu Prasad and his family,” he added.

Alok Mehta, another senior leader of the RJD and close to the Lalu family said: “The BJP is doing everything to stay in power in Bihar. It is involved in increasing communal tension in the society and diverting the attention from the real issues. Those who are pointing out real issues before the countrymen are getting harassed through the central agencies. They want to suppress the voice of a person who is vocal against the divisive politics of the BJP and RSS.”

Shakti Singh Yadav, another senior leader of the RJD said that the party will start a movement against the BJP in Bihar.

Earlier, the CBI registered a fresh FIR against Lalu Prasad in the alleged IRCTC scam during his tenure as the Union railway minister between 2005 to 2009. But the million dollar question arises here is what new proof the CBI obtained after 13 years against Lalu Prasad to register an FIR followed by raids at more than 15 places in Patna, Delhi, Gopalganj, and other places.

At present Rabri Devi and Tej Pratap Yadav are present in Patna. The CBI officials are quizzing Tej Pratap Yadav in his official residence. Tejashwi Yadav is in London for a conference while Lalu Prasad and his daughter Misa Bharti are in Delhi.

Timing and probable reasons of raids

The timing of the FIR and raids is important here, especially in the last one and half months. During the period of Ramzan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav came very close to each other. Nitish Kumar went to the Rabri Devi residence for the Iftar party. When the JD(U)’s minority wing invited Tejashwi Yadav for the Iftar party, Nitish Kumar went to the car of Tejashwi Yadav to see-off him and then sat in his own car.

Sources have said that the BJP think tank got restless after Tejashwi Yadav announced a padyatra from Patna to New Delhi on the issue of caste-based census. The office of CMO Bihar immediately called Tejashwi Yadav for a close-door meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. That meeting lasted one hour wherein no one was allowed inside.

Sources further said that Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav were discussing the formation of a new government in Bihar. For Nitish Kumar, the caste-based census could be an issue to leave the BJP and form a new government in Bihar with the support of the RJD.

After that meeting, Tejashwi was also looking calm. He claimed that the chief minister will call an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of caste-based census.

Nitish Kumar contested the 2015 election under the umbrella of Mahagathbandhan where the RJD was the elder partner with 81 seats in the Vidhan Sabha. Nitish Kumar came out of the Mahagathbandhan after the railway and IRCTC scams surfaced in 2017. Lalu Prasad was facing charges of recruiting a number of people in the Indian Railway on the basis of cash and land registry. Some of the job aspirants have registered their lands in the names of Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav. When the name of Tejashwi Yadav came in the FIR of CBI, Nitish Kumar broke the alliance and jumped into the ship of the BJP to form the government in Bihar. He broke the alliance with the RJD on the claim of zero-tolerance on corruption in his government.

JD(U) led by Nitish Kumar contested the 2020 Assembly election under the umbrella of NDA, but it’s seats were less compared to the 2015 poll. Nitish Kumar believes that the seats of his party came down due to BJP. Hence, the relationship of the JD(U) and BJP was sour from the beginning of this government. During the oath ceremony of Nitish Kumar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah came to Raj Bhawan, but these two leaders were not looking friendly at all.

For the BJP, its leaders know that Nitish Kumar has so many qualities but they also know that he can shift the goal post any time from the NDA to Mahagathbandhan. Caste-based census is one of the issues where the JD(U) and the BJP have difference of opinions and Nitish Kumar could utilise that point to change the government.

The Narendra Modi government knows Bihar is critical for him in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Hence, the BJP top leadership wants to stay in the government of Bihar. On the other hand, Nitish Kumar knows that if they stay with BJP, the performance of JD(U) in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 and Vidhan Sabha 2025 may reach another low.

The JD(U) did not announce the name of R.C.P. Singh as a candidate for the Rajya Sabha. It was also a hint from Nitish Kumar to the BJP as everyone knows that R.C.P. Singh is having good connections with the top leadership of the BJP. The party has already announced the name of party old loyalist Anil Hegde for the Rajya Sabha seat. At present, the JD(U) has not enough strength to send two Rajya Sabha candidates.

The political experts believe that there is a message for Nitish Kumar as well here. It would not be easy for him to move away from the BJP and form a new government in Bihar with the help of the RJD. Nitish Kumar was also a Union railway minister in the past and allegedly sleeper scam took place during his tenure. The case of Bihar’s Srijan scam is also in the hands of CBI.

Crime

Palghar Fraud: Nalasopara Gym Trainer, Wife Booked For Duping Mumbai Cosmetics Shop Owner Of Over ₹1.27 Crore In Investment Scam

Published

on

Palghar, Maharashtra: The Tulinj Police have registered a case against a gym trainer and his wife from Nalasopara for allegedly duping a Mumbai-based cosmetics shop owner of over ₹1.27 crore under the pretext of a profitable gym business investment.

Victim Details and Investment

According to police, the complainant, Ashokkaraman Van (28), originally from Gujarat and currently residing in Elphinstone, Mumbai, stated that in 2022 he and his friend Valjibhai Ravariya were persuaded by Abhishek Singh, a fitness trainer, and his wife Poonam Shukla to invest in a new gym project at Sitaram Complex, Santosh Bhavan, Nalasopara (East), Palghar district.

The couple allegedly promised high returns and assured them that the investment would be safe. Convinced by the assurances, Van invested ₹1,27,63,000 into the venture. However, despite repeated follow-ups, neither profits nor the principal amount were returned.

FIR Filed for Cheating and Criminal Breach of Trust

Realizing that they had been cheated, the complainant approached police, leading to the registration of an FIR under sections 316(2), 316(5), 31(8)(4), and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to criminal breach of trust and cheating.

Investigation Underway

Police confirmed that no arrests have been made so far. The case is under investigation by Inspector Anand Pednekar of Tulinj Police Station.

Continue Reading

Crime

Mumbai Crime: 26-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Assaults Female Ticket Checker At Goregaon Station; Case Registered

Published

on

Mumbai: The Borivali railway police have registered an FIR against a 26-year-old woman for allegedly assaulting a woman ticket checker on Wednesday after a dispute over showing a ticket. The accused has been identified as Sony Chauhan, 26. The case was registered on August 20, subsequently, the police issued a notice to the accused.

Incident on Local Train

According to the police, the incident occurred on Wednesday at 3:25 pm at the Goregaon ticket checker office at the railway station. The complainant, Geeta Pandoria, 52, works as a ticket checker with the railways and resides in Andheri East. She had boarded a slow local train from Andheri to Borivali from platform number 3 at Andheri station.

Before the train reached Goregaon station, Pandoria asked passenger Sony Chauhan to show her ticket. Chauhan was unable to produce one as she had not purchased it. The ticket checker then got down with her at Goregaon railway station’s platform number 2 and took her to the ticket checker’s office.

There, Chauhan allegedly began arguing with Pandoria, verbally abused her, threatened to harm her, physically assaulted her by beating and twisting her left hand, and obstructed her from performing her official duty. The ticket checker sustains the middle finger of the left hand.

Case Registered Under IPC

Following the complaint, the Borivali railway police registered a case against Chauhan under Sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused resides in Andheri East.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena Faces Setback As Ex-Palghar Zilla Parishad Chief Prakash Nikam, Along With Other Prominent Leaders, Defects To BJP

Published

on

Palghar: Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faced a major setback in Palghar as important leaders switched allegiance to the BJP, such as former Zilla Parishad President Prakash Nikam and multiple office bearers. In a demonstration of power, more than two hundred vehicles, spearheaded by BJP district president Bharat Rajput, departed for Mumbai, signaling a tactical step before local body elections.

Notable individuals like Sarika Nikam, Purnima Dhodi, and Ghanshyam More became members of the BJP at an event with state president Ravindra Chavan. The BJP’s enlistment of individuals from the Shinde and Thackeray factions, as well as the Nationalist Congress Party, has heightened the regional political atmosphere. By incorporating six members from the Gram Panchayat, the BJP is likely to take control of Saravali Gram Panchayat, which is strategically located near the Tarapur Industrial Estate.

The roster of individuals defecting to the BJP features: Prakash Nikam, Sarika Nikam, Yuva Sena coordinator Ricky Ratnakar, Anand Dhodi, Purnima Dhodi, Ghanshyam More, Kamlakar Dalvi, and Virendra Patil, whose daughter previously worked in the municipal sector. Prakash Nikam conveyed his discontent with the Shiv Sena, pointing out disrespect and exclusion from party events, while Anand Dhodi voiced comparable feelings of being overlooked at district meeting.

Both mentioned unresolved issues and continuous insults as reasons for their exit. Under the guidance of Chavan and Rajput, the BJP is gearing up to focus on strengthening its hold in the district in anticipation of forthcoming elections, utilizing the dissatisfaction among Shiv Sena to amplify its presence in Palghar.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending