Lalu’s meeting with BJP leader alarms Cong

It was a mere courtesy call to enquire about well-being of Lalu Prasad. I know Lalu since Patna University students’ union days. I spent close to two hours there, but no politics was discussed. He is undergoing treatment for some ailments which I also had. He enquired about the places where he can get treated, said Sinha.

A meeting between Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Rajya Sabha member R K Sinha with Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Friday night, on the eve of polling for the two assembly seats on Saturday, raised the political heat in Bihar, with Congress reiterating its allegations of a “possible tie-up between BJP and RJD.”

RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav (ANI)

The meeting, which took place at Prasad’s wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi’s residence, was also attended by leader of opposition in state assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, and RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary.

“It was a mere courtesy call to enquire about well-being of Lalu Prasad. I know Lalu since Patna University students’ union days. I spent close to two hours there, but no politics was discussed. He is undergoing treatment for some ailments which I also had. He enquired about the places where he can get treated,” said Sinha.

Lalu, who was convicted and jailed in Jharkhand in December 2017 in fodder scam cases, returned to Patna earlier this week after a gap of over three-and-a-half years.

Sinha, who has a RSS background, had only recently appealed to voters, particularly those belonging to Kayastha community, to vote for the National Democratic Alliance in assembly by-polls. He had also praised the development in Bihar during Nitish Kumar’s government and inflation control under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

However, Congress, which claimed to have severed its ties with RJD after announcing its exit from Grand Alliance in Bihar, smelt something “foul” in the meeting. “This proves our earlier allegation that the two parties (BJP and RJD) have entered into a secret agreement. What were these leaders negotiating and discussing?” asked Congress spokesperson Anand Madab, who also posted a picture of the meeting on the social media and urged voters of the two assembly seats to “understand the real game”.

RJD denied Congress’s allegations. “The two have known each other for a long time. RJD doesn’t need to take secular certificate from anybody. Personal relations should not be linked with politics,” said RJD spokesperson Chitaranjan Gagan.