Paswan asks Nitish to break silence on Lalu

Patna: LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan today asked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to break his silence over allegation that Lalu Prasad’s family acquired benami properties and the Supreme Court’s order on the RJD chief.

“I would not like to take the name of Lalu Prasad and his family but certain incidents – corruption, declining law and order, court’s order (on Prasad)- are taking place in the state. Why Nitish Kumar has become Mauni Baba? He should break his silence,” Paswan said.

As RJD, the largest party of the ruling coalition, was facing allegations, Kumar must tell the people whether the allegations were true or false, said Paswan, the union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

Kumar, also JD(U) president, has maintained silence over allegations of corruption in land deals made by his ally Lalu Prasad and his family. Nitish also did not make any comment on Supreme Court’s verdict that Prasad would stand trial separately in all four fodder scam cases.

Stating that people must be repenting for electing Kumar, Paswan claimed that the state did not witness any development in Kumar’s 12 years of rule while change was perceptible within two months of the formation of a new regime in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

On the Centre not fulfilling its promise of giving Rs 1.25 lakh crore special package for Bihar’s development, he said that Nitish Kumar government was making such allegations to deflect people’s attention to hide its failures.

Kumar should submit a roadmap to the Centre giving details as how much funds was required for which scheme, the dalit leader said.

On the demand of making a dalit the President of India, he said that he had raised the demand long ago in 1990, held meeting of Dalit MPs besides holding rallies.

On EVM tampering issue, Paswan said that his party supported Election Commission’s contention that it was difficult to tamper with EVMs and the Centre was in favour of bringing more transparency.

–PTI