It’s political vendetta: Tejashwi
Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav rebutted corruption charges against him on Wednesday, saying they reek of political vendetta as he was barely 13 when the alleged case happened in 2004.
The 26-year-old younger son Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad accused PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of conspiring to implicate him in a false case to break the ruling alliance in the state.
“They are bringing cases of 2004 against me. I was 13-14 year old at that time. Didn’t even have moustache in 2004… Can a boy of 13-14 years indulge in a scam?” he asked after attending a cabinet meeting called by chief minister Nitish Kumar.
Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) rules the state with the RJD and Congress, which together defeated the BJP in the 2015 assembly election.
The RJD-JD(U) ties were strained after Tejashwi and his father were named in a land-forhotels scandal and the CBI raided their homes and other properties last week. The JD(U) has asked its partner to come clean amid calls to sack the deputy chief minister.
But Tejashwi dismissed speculation that the state’s ruling alliance is under strain.
“From Day 1, BJP leaders have been trying to break our alliance. The alliance is strong and will continue,” he said.
The first-time minister alleged the BJP started a political conspiracy because of his successful work with the roads department.
“It seems the BJP, which is afraid of my father, is now scared of a 26-year-old too,” he said.
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