Former Bihar chief minister suspects Nitish and BJP hands in IT raids

Patna: Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is not the same man any more. He has changed . The change was noticed on Tuesday after income tax raids on a number of places associated with him and his family members.

Known for his rustic style living, away from modernity and new tools, Lalu used to take to tweeter once or twice daily. But following the raids he posted as many as six tweets, most spitting venom against the Bhartatiya Janata Party and his enemy-turned friend Nitish Kumar, state chief minister.

The raids were conducted in the wake of allegation that his family members especially his sons, daughter and son-in-law have amassed huge wealth through shell companies.

According to disclosure made so far by the media , the family owns one large plot of land in the state capital, a flat in a posh locality in Delhi and two sprawling farm houses in the Union capital ,which are valued at Rs 1000 crores.

The plot of land here was acquired through, what is believed to be a shell company. The land was purchased by some share holders of the company which was later transferred to his family members for a song. Almost the same method was adopted for purchase of other properties.

However, instead of either explaining how son of a poorly paid government employee and his two under-graduate sons who were unemployed until recently could possess properties worth crores of rupees, he has directed his energy towards his rivals.,

The raids were carried by income tax officials but he has attacked state chief minister Nitish Kumar and his colleagues without naming him in one of the tweets. " 'बीजेपी को नए Alliance partners मुबारक हों। लालू प्रसाद झुकने और डरने वाला नहीं है। जब तक आखिरी सांस है फासीवादी ताक़तों के खिलाफ लड़ता रहूंगा।' ( Congrats to BJP for finding new alliance partners. I am not a person to bow down. I will fight against the communal forces till by last breath.)

What he has sought to convey is that Nitish and some others have joined hands with the BJP and that these two were behind the raids.

One tweet in the series of tweets gives warning to the BJP. Translated into English, tweet dares the BJP to take action. " If you succeed in gagging me, there will be thousand other Lalus who will surface".

All this may not create a political crisis immediately but the relationship between Lalu and Nitish will not remain the same.

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