Sonia should lead secular front proposed by non-BJP parties: Lalu

Speaking at a function organised by a news channel he disclosed that he had talked to Sonia about the new front and urged her to lead it during the next Lok Sabha elections.

Asked about the PM's face of the front, he said, in his own inimitable style, " Neither has Rahul Gandhi nor Mamata Banerjee a bad face." He evaded all other questions in this regard.

Lalu denied newspapers report that raids were conducted on offices and buildings belonging to him or his sons in connection with dubious land deals estimated at Rs 1000 crores.

He found nothing wrong with purchase of land in Patna and other places saying if a company appoints his son or daughter its director and transfer property to him or her it is perfectly in order as per the company law.

Lalu provided no clear answer to another question in this connection. The question was : why should a company appoint his family member as a director without some ulterior motive? Another query made was : why all these deals were made during his tenure as union minister ? The hint was that it was a case of quid pro quo.

The former chief minister facing charges of corruption in a court of law was evasive to most of such questions.

1. The first deal was made for a large patch of land in Patna. A mall largest in the state is coming up on that. The land was purchased by a little known company. Later, his sons and daughter were appointed directors of the same company and this land was sold to them at much lower than the market price at that time.

2. The second deal was made for another land in Delhi. The modus operandi was the same.

3. Two other deals related to farm houses near Delhi airport. These properties were handed over to his daughter and son-in-law for just Rs 1.41 crores against the market price of Rs 100 crores.