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CBI raids on Lalu Prasad Yadav: Centre denies 'political vendetta', RJD cries foul

The government and the BJP have no role in the CBI raids against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today. The information and broadcasting minister said the Central Bureau of Investigation was doing its duty and acting in accordance with the mandate given to it by law.

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Lalu Prasad Yadav with his family on his birthday
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The government and the BJP have no role in the CBI raids against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today. The information and broadcasting minister said the Central Bureau of Investigation was doing its duty and acting in accordance with the mandate given to it by law.

"What is political vendetta? Where is BJP in this? I am not able to understand. Do you mean to say that anybody against whom any charge is there, it should not be inquired into at all?" Naidu asked.

"CBI is doing its duty and it is allowed to do so.
Earlier it was not allowed... after our government came there is no interference and that is why CBI is free and acting as per the mandate given to it...," he told reporters.

The raids against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and his family started at 7 am today and were conducted at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurugram after the investigating agency registered a corruption case.

It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land of three acres through a benami company.

Stressing that these were "past cases", Naidu said, "Instead of facing and answering the charges, making the political allegations against the government and the BJP has become the fashion of some of the Opposition parties." To a query on political implications of the raids on Bihar's ruling RJD-JD(U) alliance, Naidu said, "JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar is a wise and mature man. He knows what to do and how to act. I don't link this (CBI raids) with political developments in the country."

Nitish Kumar has announced his support for NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, triggering speculation about the political fallout of such a move. 

The CBI raids on Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family were being carried out at the instance of a "vengeful" Centre out to muzzle the opposition's voice, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said today.
 

As the RJD hit out at the Centre, the police tightened security outside the BJP office fearing trouble. A general alert has been sounded across the state following the raids, which started at 7 am in 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurgaon, Additional Director General (Headquarters) S K Singhal said.

The Centre began tightening its noose around Lalu Prasad ever since he "announced a massive 'Desh bachao, Bhajpa hatao rally' on August 27 in Patna", RJD's Bihar unit president Ramchandra Purbey said. "The CBI's action is being carried out at the instance of the central government... This is the Centre's vengeful action which is targeted against those who speak for protecting democratic values," Purbey said.

The RJD's proposed rally on August 27 in Patna would take place as scheduled, he added. His colleague, RJD's Bihar unit chief spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav, echoed him and said the CBI action was "brazen misuse" of central agencies by the Central government against opposition parties.

The CBI team raided Rabri Devi's 10 Circular Road residence in Patna in the morning, part of the searches in connection with a corruption case. It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land of three acres through a benami company Lalu Prasad is away in Ranchi for appearance in a CBI court in connection with a case related to the multi-crore fodder scam.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U) is in alliance with the RJD, is also out of Patna. The CM left for Rajgir yesterday for "health reasons". Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and state police chief P K Thakur have been summoned to Rajgir. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's silence on CBI raids.

Asked about the enhanced security arrangements, state BJP President Nityanand Rai said the administration might have done it considering the violent activities of RJD workers in the past after action against their leader in other cases. 

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