File photo of Nitish Kumar
Patna:
The BJP in Bihar seems to be a divided house over the role of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the multi-crore fodder scam.
On Saturday, BJP leader and former deputy of Mr Kumar, Sushil Kumar Modi, said the CBI should probe the role of the chief minister in the scam.
Mr Modi, who released some statements of three accused - recorded in 1996 - said the CBI might try to shield the chief minister in view of his growing proximity with the Congress.
In the statements, at least one of the accused claimed that Rs 1 crore was paid to Mr Kumar. The statement, recorded under section 161, was not confirmed by Umesh Singh, a key vigilance department employee credited with delivering the money.
But in a new twist, a senior BJP leader and one of the petitioners, Saroy Rai, questioned Mr Modi's claim saying there was no point raising the issue now as the CBI had submitted an affidavit in this regard in the CBI special court two months ago. Despite the statements of some of the accused, no case was made out against Mr Kumar or senior Janata Dal (United) leader Shivanand Tiwari due to lack of corroborative evidence or any quid pro quo being established.
Mr Rai also warned that several skeletons, which may implicate even BJP leaders, might tumble out of the closet if BJP leaders continue to make such statements based on allegations by a few accused.
"It's an open secret that at the time, due to influence by Lalu Prasad, a section of CBI officials recorded statements of some accused implicating NDA leaders but that doesn't mean we will forget that reality now and indulge in mudslinging just for the sake of scoring brownie points over our rival," warned Mr Roy.
In its next affidavit, to be filed before November 22 in the Ranchi High Court, the CBI is likely to repeat the same statement that no case was made out against Mr Kumar, but that has not stopped all parties from hurling charges and counter charges at each other.
On Saturday, BJP leader and former deputy of Mr Kumar, Sushil Kumar Modi, said the CBI should probe the role of the chief minister in the scam.
Mr Modi, who released some statements of three accused - recorded in 1996 - said the CBI might try to shield the chief minister in view of his growing proximity with the Congress.
In the statements, at least one of the accused claimed that Rs 1 crore was paid to Mr Kumar. The statement, recorded under section 161, was not confirmed by Umesh Singh, a key vigilance department employee credited with delivering the money.
But in a new twist, a senior BJP leader and one of the petitioners, Saroy Rai, questioned Mr Modi's claim saying there was no point raising the issue now as the CBI had submitted an affidavit in this regard in the CBI special court two months ago. Despite the statements of some of the accused, no case was made out against Mr Kumar or senior Janata Dal (United) leader Shivanand Tiwari due to lack of corroborative evidence or any quid pro quo being established.
Mr Rai also warned that several skeletons, which may implicate even BJP leaders, might tumble out of the closet if BJP leaders continue to make such statements based on allegations by a few accused.
"It's an open secret that at the time, due to influence by Lalu Prasad, a section of CBI officials recorded statements of some accused implicating NDA leaders but that doesn't mean we will forget that reality now and indulge in mudslinging just for the sake of scoring brownie points over our rival," warned Mr Roy.
In its next affidavit, to be filed before November 22 in the Ranchi High Court, the CBI is likely to repeat the same statement that no case was made out against Mr Kumar, but that has not stopped all parties from hurling charges and counter charges at each other.
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