Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said the verdict proved that the charges against Lalu were all true. “Conviction is conviction, whether of 3.5 or 7 years,” he said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav’s sentencing on Friday evoked a rash of political reactions with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) hailing the court’s decision.
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said the verdict proved that the charges against Lalu were all true. “Conviction is conviction, whether of 3.5 or 7 years,” he said.
“All their tactics to even influence the CBI judge have proved futile. No one, not even the influential, can escape the law if they indulge in corrupt practices,” he added.
Former BJP MP Shahnawaz Hussain said the judgment sends out a message that anyone who tries to loot the nation is equal before the law.
BJP’s ally JD (U) also called the judgment a historic one. “It will be a historic decision in Bihar’s politics and we welcome it. It is the end of Lalu’s chapter. It will be difficult to keep the RJD together and people in politics will be fearful,” JD (U) general secretary KC Tyagi said.
RJD leaders said they respected the court’s judgment and had full faith in the judiciary. “Once we study the details of the judgment, we will move High Court for Laluji’s bail. This is the sentence in one case. Other cases are pending… but we are neither afraid nor will be,” Lalu’s son and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar legislative assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said.
He also claimed that the case was a conspiracy against his father. “All this is just the negative politics of the saffron party and the JD (U),” he said.
The Congress, which is RJD’s ally in Bihar, said it was against corruption but that its alliance was with RJD and not individuals. “The judgment will not affect the secular and socialist forces fighting for the welfare of the people in Bihar,” said Kaukab Quadri, President (in charge) of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee.
Skipping jail term
- Lalu’s lawyers had argued for the shortest jail term — 3 years — in view of his health
- A sentence of 3 yrs or less would have made him eligible for bail from the special court
- He was convicted on Dec 23 for criminal conspiracy, forgery, and use of forged documents
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