New action by Lalu Prsad Yadav's  daughter has become a suspect

Patna: Misa Bharti, daughter of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. did not appear before the income tax officials for the second time on Monday despite warning given to her after the first non-appearance, leading to all kinds of speculation.

One story doing the rounds here is that the family is trying to force the officials to take action so that it can play a victim and gain political mileage. Another is that it wants to pull the sympathy chord and earn more support.

The officials had told her lawyer that they may arrest her if she is represented by her lawyer again-- the second time-- and fined Rs 10,000 for defying their order. There could be some ulterior motive behind not appearing personally the second time, people who are in the know of the developments suspect.

Adopting the same line , her husband Shailesh Kumar, too had not personally appeared on June 7 when he was called by the officials for the first time. Thursday ( tomorrow) is the new date fixed for him to appear. He may act like her.

The family, it appears to many, is deliberately inviting trouble; " Any action like arrest will earn general peoples' sympathies and will give Lalu a new propaganda material", quipped a family critic.

He may call it a proof of political vendetta as he has been highly critical of the BJP.

After the arrest, she may reenact the " famous arrest drama" performed by Indira Gandhi in the post-emergency period. She had got down from police jeep carrying her and sat on the road to protest against the arrest and the then Janata Party government at the Centre. The scene was captured by all the lens men present and prominently published by newspapers.

Misa may do likewise to get publicity and create an anti- Narendra Modi ( Prime Minister) mood in the state.