RJD threatens to sue media outlets that claimed Tejashwi owned Gurugram mall
Patna (PTI): The RJD on Friday threatened to slap defamation notices on media outlets that ran stories claiming that a mall at Gurugram raided by the CBI two days ago belonged to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha alleged that officials of CBI, ED and IT Department were visiting the BJP's headquarters in Delhi to receive instructions for indulging in political vendetta.
"I want to warn officials of these agencies, do your job impartially but do not act as per the diktats of your political masters who will not come to save you when there are repercussions," said Jha.
He alleged that people from these agencies "go to the BJP office on Deendayal Upadhyay Marg where they are handed out pieces of paper inscribed with instructions as to which political adversary has to be fixed".
"We will tell the people that we are being targeted because we are raising their issues. It will lead to a backlash which will make it difficult for officials and their political masters to venture out of their homes," Jha said.
When asked whether he was issuing a threat of physical violence, the RJD leader asserted, "Not at all. We are Gandhians. And our supporters will present those indulging in vendetta with flowers with the wish that they get well soon."
Jha also fulminated against media outlets that "frantically ran baseless reports alleging that the mall belonged to Tejashwi, but have gone silent ever since we came out with evidence that, on the contrary, the real estate developer constructing the structure enjoys the patronage of BJP leaders in Haryana, including CM Manohar Lal Khattar."
"I hereby warn these media outlets that they broadcast an apology admitting that it was a mistake on their part. If these fail to do so in 48 hours, we will file a defamation suit," the RJD MP said.
Jha was also asked about the BJP's below-the-belt remark on Tejashwi Yadav whom it has called a "fake" Yadav, descending from a family of shepherds, in contrast with Union minister Nityanand Rai who was a "real" one since his ancestors reared cows.
He replied, "Rai does not milk cows nor does he take out cattle for grazing. He bears a Gujarati stamp and he milks the people after making them graze false promises."
Asked about former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi repeatedly questioning the new Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) government about Tejashwi Yadav's promise of 10 lakh jobs, the RJD leader said, "The BJP leader has been the first beneficiary of that announcement."
"Sushil Modi had been in a state of political unemployment. Now he seems to have found his way back into the BJP mainstream. He owes it to us," the RJD leader said sarcastically.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
