No links with mall in Gurugram: Tejashwi

The deputy CM also alleged that CBI sleuths were working in a partisan manner and tried to intimidate RJD leaders during the raids on Wednesday.

Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, whose party leaders’ properties are being searched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the federal probe agency of acting out of political vendetta and dismissed reports that an upcoming mall in Gurugram that was searched by the agency belonged to him.

Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav addresses a press conference in Patna on Thursday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

Addressing a press conference at his party RJD’s office, Yadav waved some papers and said the company purportedly constructing the mall had directors and shareholders based in Haryana. “The company was incorporated in February 2021 and there are two directors and two shareholders. I have got nothing to do with the upcoming mall. If it’s proved otherwise, I will donate half of the mall to the people of Bihar, a portion to BJP leaders and rest to the CBI ,” he said, while dismissing claims that the company had links with his close aide Sanjay Yadav.

The RJD heir apparent also played a few video clips and said a BJP MP and mayor of Gurugram were present during the inauguration of the project. “ Even chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, had praised the works of the company constructing the mall to which my name has been linked by a certain section of the media,” Yadav claimed.

He said “BJP ministers, especially the one who was dreaming of becoming CM should now become cautious”. “This is Bihar. Nobody from Delhi would come to save them,” Yadav said, without taking names.

The deputy CM also alleged that CBI sleuths were working in a partisan manner and tried to intimidate RJD leaders during the raids on Wednesday. “ My sources said CBI officers asked RJD leaders to snap ties with party chief Lalu Prasad or else face consequences,” Yadav, who is the younger son of Lalu Yadav, said.

He said CBI registering a case in May 2022 in relation to the alleged land for job scam after almost 15 years since former railway minister Lalu Prasad demitted office spoke volumes of functioning of the agency. “ Why has the CBI woken up so late,” he asked.

The alleged land for job scam pertains to exchange of land in lieu of Group D jobs in Indian Railways during the tenure of Prasad as railway minister from 2004-09.

Yadav said BJP was scared of his party’s realignment with JD(U). “ In 2024, Mahagatbandhan (Grand alliance) in Bihar will win all 40 parliamentary seats in the state. I dare the central government to put all opposition leaders in jail. It won’t work,” he said.

CBI raids on RJD leaders have come days after BJP was ousted from power in Bihar when chief minister Nitish Kumar’s party JD(U) snapped ties with it and formed a new government in alliance with Lalu Prasad’s party and Congress, besides Left parties and others.

Meanwhile, CM Nitish Kumar’s gave a cryptic reaction when his comment was sought on the ongoing raids. “Ye sab dekhte na rahiye aap log, kya hota hai (just keep watching as things unfold)”, he told reporters.