Nitish Kumar may meet Lalu Prasad's fate: BJP

NEW DELHI: Welcoming the judgement against RJD Chief Lalu Prasad in the fodder scam, BJP today said Bihar Chief Minister and former NDA ally Nitish Kumar could face the same fate as a PIL is pending in the high court against him in a related case involving Rs 900 crore.

BJP General Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said while two former Bihar Chief Ministers - Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra - have been found guilty today by a special CBI court, a third chief minister may soon find himself in the dock.

"A Public Interest Litigation was filed in a Rs 900 crore (animal husbandry department) scam in the Jharkhand High Court in which a third chief minister may be indicted," Rudy said, regretting that a series of chief ministers from Bihar have faced corruption charges.

The Jharkhand High Court has directed the CBI to file a counter-affidavit on the writ by one Mithilesh Kumar Singh in which it is alleged that Kumar and JD(U) Rajya Sabha member Shivanand Tiwari were beneficiaries in the scam. The court will hear the matter on November 22.

BJP also sought to drag in Congress in the whole case, saying while Jagannath Mishra was the chief minister when Congress was in power, Prasad's RJD supports UPA while Kumar is now hobnobbing with the ruling party at the Centre.

Asked if BJP feels Prasad has now been punished because Congress stopped defending him, Rudy said, "Lalu Prasad has successfully used the CBI all along with Congress help. It seems he has run out of its favour."

On the issue of Kumar cosying up to Congress to protect himself with CBI help, the BJP leader said, "Possibly yes, possibly no. CBI is filing a charge sheet in the scam. He is playing in the hands of Congress...Congress has the ability to tamper with affidavits."

BJP was, however, evasive on what its position was on Kumar and Tiwari as JD(U) was a part of the NDA for 17 years.