Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD President on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate at its Patna office for questioning in connection with the probe in the alleged 'land for jobs scam' case, sources said. Lalu's son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has been summoned for questioning in the case on Tuesday.
A large number of RJD party workers escorted the RJD chief amid slogans against the BJP led Central government, to the ED office. The RJD workers were seen chanting slogans in favour of the RJD chief and against the BJP government as Lalu's car inched towards the ED office in Patna for questioning in the case at around 11 am.
Lalu's daughter and MP Dr Misa Bharti accompanied her father to the ED office. Speaking to the media on the occasion said, "This is not a new thing. This greeting card is being sent to those who are not coming with them. Whenever any agency calls our family, we go there and cooperate with them and answer their questions". Sources said that Lalu's daughter Misa brought food for her father at the ED office itself.
Besides, Lalu's family also sent medicines for the RJD chief twice during the questioning. Security at the ED office in Patna was beefed up during Lalu's questioning. A battalion of CRPF was deployed at the ED office in Patna to prevent any law and order situation. It can be recalled that Lalu along with his son Tejashwi Yadav were summoned by the ED in the alleged land for jobs scam case on Jan 19.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was summoned today while his son Tejashwi Yadav has been called for questioning on Tuesday. But sources said that Tejashwi is likely to skip the ED summon owing to his prior engagement. The ED summon to Tejashwi was the third in the case with the former Deputy Chief Minister failing to appear before the probe agencies on the earlier two occasions.
The earlier summons were issued to Tejashwi Yadav by the Enforcement Directorate on 22 December and 5 January. The fresh appearances of the father-son duo before the ED come close to the heels of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar breaking away from the Mahagathbandhan or the grand alliance to return to the NDA with which he had parted ways in 2022.
The 'land for jobs' in the Railways is a 14 year old case during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav as the union Railways Minister. According to the CBI charge sheet, it is alleged that land was taken in exchange for jobs during his tenure as Railway Minister.
