The former union minister also questioned the double standards of the CBI and asked why was it not investigating the Srijan scam, that allegedly involves Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
The Congress party on Saturday came out in support of convicted Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and dismissed any impact of the decision on its alliance with RJD. Congress leader Manish Tewari termed the Central Bureau of Investigation as "pet performing parrot" of the current government and said that Yadav and his lawyers are able enough to cope with the fight ahead.
"This issue is not new, this began in 1993-94 and since then we had an alliance with the RJD. They were a part of UPA, we have also been together in the grand alliance... criminal matters and political alliances are two separates issues," Tewari said during the party's press briefing.
The former union minister also questioned the double standards of the CBI and asked why was it not investigating the Srijan scam, that allegedly involves Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. "I want to ask the BJP why Srijan scam is not being investigated? The central charge was same in this case. Why there are different strokes for different folks," Tewari said.
Meanwhile, senior RJD leaders came out strongly against the BJP and its misuse of investigating agencies. The party's spokesperson Manoj Jha slammed the agencies and said that legally admissible evidence was not considered and it was set aside. He said that the two most powerful people in the country are trying to intimidate them.
"Politically I know this regime, they have this typical Standard Operating Procedure: Try to make a deal with your opposition, if you fail, then scare them," Jha said.
Senior RJD leaders Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the party will continue to fight the legal battle in the higher courts. Siddiqui asked why Lalu Prasad Yadav was being singled out even as Chief Ministers preceding him were also involved in this issue.
"The case was on excess withdrawal from Deogarh treasury. Laluji has been charged with connivance as he was the finance minister then - the charge is not direct. The withdrawal had been taking place since 1977. There were several chief ministers who were in charge of the finance department when Laluji was not the finance minister or the chief minister so why is he being singled out?" said Siddiqui.
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the party had no alternative but to move to high court and continue the fight legally as well as politically. The CBI court will pronounce the punishment to Yadav on January 3 and he was taken to Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.
—With agency inputs.
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