NDA, RJD lock horns over land-for-jobs scam

PATNA: The ruling NDA in Bihar has locked horns with the opposition RJD over alleged "land-for-jobs scam" in the Railways with the former demanding sacking of the Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

NDA has also demanded a probe into the minister's assets. In retaliation, Lalu has threatened a legal action.
In a sting operation telecast by a premier TV news channel on Sunday, it was shown how the railway minister had allegedly misused his position to acquire lands for his relatives.

The channel has also alleged that Central Ministers Raghunath Jha and Kanti Singh had "gifted" land worth lakhs of rupees to Lalu's son in order to get berth in the Union cabinet. Minister Prem Gupta's name was also mentioned by the channel in the scam.

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today demanded dismissal of Lalu Prasad, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Raghunath Jha and Union Minister of State for Tourism Kanti Singh.

"I urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dismiss the RJD ministers and order an immediate probe into the assets of Lalu Prasad, his family, Jha, Gupta and Kanti Singh," Modi said. This has become necessary following the sting operation, he said.

Modi also alleged that owners of Chanakya Hotel had to register valuable pieces of land in the name of Delight Marketing Company, in which Union Minister Prem Gupta's wife has a majority stake, for bagging the lease to run hotels belonging to Railways at Ranchi and Bhubaneshwar.