Sushil Modi's kin had direct links with Srijan scam accused: Tejashwi Yadav
Patna, June 28 : Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday alleged Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi's family has direct links with the accused in the multi-crore Srijan scam case involving an NGO that allegedly pilfered funds meant for government welfare schemes.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader also asked why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not registered a case against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi in the scam despite knowledge of their involvement.
"Sushil Modi's sister Rekha Modi and niece Urvashi Modi received crores of rupees from Srijan scam. Here are bank statements of Srijan to prove transactions," Tejashwi Yadav said in a series of tweets attaching the statement of Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Ltd's Indian Bank's Bhagalpur branch account in which few transactions showed the names of Rekha Modi and Urvashi Modi.
"Sushil Modi and Nitish Kumar are direct parties in the Rs 2,500 crore scam but CBI not naming and questioning them. Why?
"Rs 2,500 crore of state exchequer were looted for years in Srijan scam under the able guidance of Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister Sushil Modi and sound and known patronage of Nitish Kumar," he said attaching a letter written by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the Bihar government in September 2013.
"Why the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister didn't act on complaints from RBI and then Finance Ministry?"
His remarks came a day after Sushil Modi fired fresh corruption salvos at Yadav alleging him of serving as the "handling and storage agent" of a leading steel company in the country.
Sushil Modi alleged that Yadav did not declare this information in his affidavit before the Election Commission when he made his electoral debut in the Bihar Assembly polls of 2015 and accused him of evading taxes on the earnings made in aforementioned capacity.
Yadav on Thursday alleged that Nitish Kumar had the knowledge of the Srijan scam but turned a blind eye. "I am giving proofs that Nitish Kumar was very much in loop and know to things related to Srijan scam but he turned a blind eye and didn't take cognisance of scam and allowed the rampant loot of state exchequer.
"His party leaders were directly involved in this plundering to fund him," he said.
The Srijan scam involves Bhagalpur-based NGO Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Ltd, which used to provide vocational training to women. The NGO allegedly pilfered funds meant for government welfare schemes from the bank accounts of the Bhagalpur district administration.
Nitish Kumar had on August 18, 2017 recommended a CBI to probe in the scam after RJD chief Lalu Prasad accused him of "murdering democracy" in Bihar.
In August last year, the CBI registered 10 cases related to the scam and filed four fresh case in June this year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
