New Delhi: After some files of the fodder scam went missing in Bihar, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Wednesday accused the Nitish Kumar government of “protecting criminals” and said all this was being done to get a clean-chit for RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
“Today it seems that there is a political system in Bihar which is protecting criminals and giving shelter to them,” Rudy said here at a press conference.
“The missing files signify there are people in the system trying to get a clean-chit for Lalu Prasad,” the minister, who hails from the state added.
Rudy’s remarks came after files related to the multi-crore fodder scam in Bihar reportedly disappeared from the state’s Animal Husbandry Department office in Patna.
“This is time to review, revive and recall what is happening in Bihar,” Rudy said, adding, “Fodder scam garnered the attention of the nation as a sitting chief minister was accused in the case.”
“In this case Lalu (Lalu Prasad Yadav) was forced to exit from his post and also had to go to jail. And even today he can’t contest election as he is a convict in the case,” the BJP leader said.
Former Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad was convicted in the Rs.900 crore embezzlement scandal.
The minister said there has been a sharp rise in crimes in the state after the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance came to power.
“There is theft, murder, loot, abduction, rape in Bihar. The figures related to these defines the status of crime in the state. Now, it seems Bihar is for criminals,” Rudy said.
He also refuted the allegations of government interference over the ongoing controversy on “Udta Punjab”.
“The process of censorship must have certain guidelines. I reject the charges of government interference into the censorship,” he said.
He also accused the Aam Aadmi Party of fuelling the issue, saying “AAP’s survival is based on creating controversies and then to do politics over it.”
The minister also said that drugs is not an election issue in Punjab and added that the BJP-Akali Dal alliance is doing “extremely excellent” work.
“I don’t see there is any problem in Punjab,” he said.
–IANS