TEJASWI, SUSHIL MODI INDULGE IN WAR OF WORDS IN BIHAR ASSEMBLY

PATNA: Acrimonious exchanges were on Tuesday witnessed inside the Bihar Legislative Assembly between Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav over the issues of corruption under the present regime and benami property allegedly amassed by the latter.

As soon as Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary rejected a notice for adjournment motion on various scams served by opposition members, Yadav stood up and said “this is a very important matter. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was earlier known for good governance, is now regarded as ‘Bhishm Pitamah’ of corruption”.

“Not a day passes when people in Bihar do not open newspapers or switch on TV expecting news of a new scam”, Yadav, younger son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, alleged.

Sushil Modi reacted angrily to this, saying Yadav “should tell the house about benami property worth about Rs 1,000 crore amassed by him into which CBI was inquiring. At the age of 28, he has become owner of so many properties”.

Yadav retorted, “at times I am told that I am a child (a reference to a recent remark by the CM) and at the same time I am also accused of corrupt deals”. “I was the Deputy CM for a considerable period of time. I want to know whether I was guilty of any corrupt deal during the period. On the other hand, the name of the CM has figured in a murder case and even a fine has been slapped on him by a court in that connection”, Yadav alleged.

Sushil Modi sarcastically replied “had he explained his position earlier, he would have been sitting even now on the Deputy CM’S chair”.

The senior BJP leader was referring to collapse of Grand Alliance comprising JD(U), RJD and Congress over the issue of graft charge on Yadav. Earlier, proceedings of the House commenced in a surcharged atmosphere with some CPI(ML) MLAS carrying placards and shouting slogans demanding a stop on violence against dalits. This evoked angry outbursts from the ruling side.

Later, RJD member Abdul Bari Siddiqui told the Chair “members of the ruling side are behaving in a manner in which the opposition has been known to behave”. State Minister Nand Kishore Yadav reacted angrily saying the ruling side “will not allow the opposition to manipulate the proceedings in an arbitrary manner”.