Bihar: Lalu appears before ED over land-for-jobs scam
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Patna (PTI): RJD president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate, which had summoned him in connection with its probe into the land-for-jobs scam, officials said.
The ailing septuagenarian reached the ED's Bank Road office in Patna around 10.30 am and left the premises after being grilled for nearly four hours.
Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti, who is also the RJD MP from Pataliputra, accompanied her father.
The street leading to the ED office kept reverberating with slogans in praise of Prasad, raised by RJD workers who had gathered in large numbers.
Prasad, known for his gift of the gab, however, did not take any questions from the posse of journalists, choosing to wave at them quietly from inside his car.
On Tuesday, Prasad's wife Rabri Devi and elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, both named as co-accused in the case, had been quizzed by the agency for close to four hours.
Meanwhile, Prasad's younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who is also named as an accused, told reporters elsewhere, "The more we are harassed, the stronger we shall become. Of course, the case is politically motivated. Had I not been in politics, I would not have been dragged into this. I had predicted after the Delhi assembly elections that now the agencies will turn their gaze towards Bihar."
However, JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar alleged, "Lalu Prasad is reaping what he has sown. As the then chief minister of Bihar, he was involved in fodder scam. He has been convicted by the court and stands disqualified from contesting elections. The charge of political vendetta is bogus. The CBI charge-sheet in fodder scam was filed during the prime ministership of Inder Kumar Gujral with whom the RJD supremo shared excellent rapport."
The land-for-jobs scam pertains to the period when the RJD supremo was the Railway Minister in the first term of the Congress-led UPA government.
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Bengal: On way to PM's rally, 3 mowed down by train amid dense fog
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons died and three others were injured after being hit by a train amid dense fog on Saturday, while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Taherpur in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior official said.
The incident occurred between Taherpur and Badkulla railway stations under the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section of Eastern Railway, he said.
Modi, whose helicopter could not land at Taherpur due to dense fog and low visibility, condoled the death of the “BJP workers” in his virtual address from Kolkata airport.
“I have come to know that some BJP workers, while travelling to the rally, lost their lives in a rail accident. My condolences are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi said.
The Eastern Railway official told PTI that the incident occurred in the morning when these people, who were travelling by a bus, had stopped the vehicle and walked to the railway tracks to answer nature's call.
"While three persons died on the spot, two others with injuries were admitted to a local hospital," he said.
Another person with minor injuries was released after having been administered first aid, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Shaktipada Sutradhar (55) and Gopinath Das (38).
Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district, alleged that the BJP ignored the incident and went ahead with the rally.
"Terrible tragedy hushed up at altar of @narendramodi ego. @BJP4India supporters brought from far Murshidabad for PM rally in Ranaghat today," she said in a post on X.
"4 went to answer nature's call and were killed by 31814 down local train near Taherpur. BJP ignored, blacked out & went ahead with rally," Moitra claimed.
Reacting to her remarks, the West Bengal BJP, in a post on X, asserted that the TMC "has always been adept at milking tragedies", and was being "disrespectful to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy".
The TMC alleged that BJP leaders have not shown "neither concern nor compassion" over the mishap.
"The loss of three lives in Taherpur should have united everyone in grief. But @BJP4India leaders showed neither concern nor compassion," it said in another post on X.
"At this painful moment, Smt @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc put humanity above party lines and stood beside the families of the deceased," the party said.
TMC’s on-ground leaders promptly reached out to the grieving family members, ensuring them of help and assistance, it said.
"While Delhi’s rulers chase Bengal with arrogance, our leadership chose empathy. This is the difference between politics of power and politics of people!" the TMC added.
