Tej Pratap Yadav bombards President with postcards seeking Lalu's release
RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav has started a campaign to press the demand for the release of his ailing septuagenarian father Lalu Prasad from custody in his characteristic maverick style.
Yadav, the elder son of former chief ministers Prasad and Rabri Devi, on Thursday marched to the General Post Office here, along with hundreds of supporters who carried bundles of postcards addressed to President Ramnath Kovind seeking release of the jailed party supremo.
"We are here with lakhs of 'azadi patras' (petitions seeking freedom) in the interests of a socialist movement that is being undertaken in Bihar. We hope the President will heed the voice of the people," said Yadav, who is known to be a doting son to the RJD boss.
Prasad, who is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases in Jharkhand, carved out of Bihar, is at present in Delhi undergoing treatment for multiple ailments.
In his late 70s, the leader, who had also served as the railway minister in the UPA-1 government, is a diabetic and suffers from a heart condition and kidney problems.
He has been granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in some of the cases but he needs to secure the same in a few others in order to be freed from custody.
When asked about the campaign, RJD state spokesman Chitaranjan Gagan said, "It is, of course, a personal initiative of Tej Pratap Yadav but the party does back it since the matter involves our undisputed leader."
The move, however, met with strong disapproval from BJP Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi, the former deputy chief minister of Bihar who has been the foremost bte noire of the proverbial "first family" of the RJD.
In a couple of tweets, he pointed out that Prasad was convicted after a "prolonged legal battle" and "legal wizards like Ram Jethmalani could neither save him from punishment nor help him get bail".
In an indirect reference to Tej Pratap Yadav having been overshadowed by his younger brother Tejashwi, Modi added "the sidelined prince of RJD is now trying to create mistrust in the judiciary by the gimmickry of sending two lakh postcards to the President".
Modi also referred to the RJD's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls of 2019, when it drew a blank, and Prasad's attempts to topple the NDA government after the recent assembly elections, in which the party won the maximum number of seats but the coalition helmed by it fell short of getting majority.
An official of the postal department said postcards found to be in order will be dispatched.
"This episode is amusing and puzzling. But the postal department will have to do its job. Postcards found to be in order will be dispatched. Others will go back to the senders," said a department official requesting anonymity.
Phanishwar Nath Renu’s birth centenary: Call to turn village into tourist spot
- Nitish Kumar had got Renu Bhawan built in the village at a cost of ₹two crore but tourism infrastructure needs to be developed for customized tour packages, says Renu's son.
175 LJP functionaries join BJP; party disowns turncoats
- A senior LJP leader, who quit the party, said the LJP was reduced to a drawing room organisation where even old party workers didn’t have access to Chirag Paswan.
Fake power theft case against innocent villager raised in Bihar House
- The JD(U) MLC said that Gautam Kumar was suffering while the police officials were showing no urgency to submit the inquiry report, as the case was not lodged by them.
Bihar relies on village chowkidars to resolve land disputes early, reduce crime
- According to the National Crime Bureau Record (NCRB), in Bihar in 2019, there were 3,707 crime incidents related to land and property disputes, while the number of people killed were 5,227, or 3.1% per lakh
Darbhanga airport crosses 1 lakh passenger milestone within 4 months
- Spicejet, the lone airline with a license to fly from Darbhanga under UDAN, has again opened booking for Ahmedabad after having discontinued the direct Darbhanga-Ahmedabad flight on February 15.
Hotter summer forecast for Bihar with maximum temperatures rising in March-May
- The maximum temperature in Bihar till March 15 is likely to hover around 32°C to 34°C, which is 2°C to 4°C above the normal for the season. Similarly, the minimum temperature is also likely to range between 14°C to 16°C, around 2°C higher than the season’s normal.
Cong MLA gives 48-hr time to catch nephew’s killers; kin blame security removal
- Sasaram SP said he met the bereaved family and posted security guards at their house. Meanwhile, raids were being carried out to arrest the absconding accused.
Bihar politician kidnapped in Patna, rescued from Sasaram a day later
- Pandey was kidnapped when he left his party’s Kidwaipuri office after attending a meeting at around 6pm on Sunday.
Acute shortage of IAS officers in Bihar, many to retire this year
- Presently, the state has just 202 IAS officers against the sanctioned strength of 359.
Bihar: Offline primary classes resume from March 1, parents still reluctant
- Several schools will not reopen just yet; they are planning to conduct online examinations and commence regular classes for primary students from the next academic session.
Bihar social welfare dept seeks differently-abled friendly highways, underpasses
- For persons with special ability, especially wheelchair bound ‘Divyaangs’, using the underpass is difficult as well as dangerous. Even normal people do not find most of the underpasses smooth and convenient, said an official.
10-yr-old boy beaten to death on suspicion of mobile theft in Bihar
'Example of self-reliance': PM Modi hails migrant worker's journey to becoming f
- Baitha utilised the pandemic as an opportunity to turn into an entrepreneur and set up an LED bulb manufacturing unit in his village.
Primary classes to begin from tomorrow in Bihar: All you need to know
