Lalu Prasad Appears Before Probe Agency Over Land-For-Jobs Scam

RJD president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate, which had summoned him in connection with its probe into the land-for-jobs scam, officials said.

The ailing septuagenarian reached the ED's Bank Road office in Patna around 10.30 am and left the premises after being grilled for nearly four hours.

Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti, who is also the RJD MP from Pataliputra, accompanied her father.

The street leading to the ED office kept reverberating with slogans in praise of Lalu Prasad, raised by RJD workers who had gathered in large numbers.

Lalu Prasad, known for his gift of the gab, however, did not take any questions from the posse of journalists, choosing to wave at them quietly from inside his car.

On Tuesday, Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi and elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, both named as co-accused in the case, had been quizzed by the agency for close to four hours.

Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad's younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who is also named as an accused, told reporters elsewhere, "The more we are harassed, the stronger we shall become. Of course, the case is politically motivated. Had I not been in politics, I would not have been dragged into this. I had predicted after the Delhi assembly elections that now the agencies will turn their gaze towards Bihar."

However, JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar alleged, "Lalu Prasad is reaping what he has sown. As the then chief minister of Bihar, he was involved in fodder scam. He has been convicted by the court and stands disqualified from contesting elections.

The charge of political vendetta is bogus. The CBI charge-sheet in fodder scam was filed during the prime ministership of Inder Kumar Gujral with whom the RJD supremo shared excellent rapport." The land-for-jobs scam pertains to the period when the RJD supremo was the Railway Minister in the first term of the Congress-led UPA government.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)