Lalu Yadav has denied any rift with Nitish Kumar over Shahabuddin's release
Lalu Yadav, whose Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is a part of Bihar's ruling coalition, today rubbished reports of differences with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, insisting that their "mahagatbandhan" or grand alliance is intact.
Talk of a growing rift between the alliance partners who came to power in November has been swirling since the release this weekend of don-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, an RJD leader who was jailed when Nitish Kumar first came to power in 2005 after ending Lalu Yadav's 15-year reign.
Shahabuddin faces over 40 cases including murder, kidnapping and extortion.
"Shahabuddin was released on a court order. The entire controversy is needless," Lalu Yadav told reporters.
Later, Nitish Kumar said cautiously: "All I want to say is the law will keep doing its job."
The RJD chief's clarification coincided, however, with more embarrassment in the form of damning photographs featuring his older son Tej Pratap, a minister. A photo showing Tej Pratap with Shahabuddin as well as an accused in the murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan in May, Mohammad Kaif, is viral. On Thursday, Tej Pratap was seen in a new photograph with a second man wanted in the same murder, Mohammad Jawed.
Lalu Yadav's son and Bihar minister Tej Pratap with Mohammad Jawed, accused in journalist's murder
The young minister has called it a BJP conspiracy. "They (the BJP) bring some photograph from somewhere and make some false allegations. How would I know who is a shooter from the 1,000 people who click photos with me?" he said yesterday.
The journalist's wife Asha Ranjan has moved the Supreme Court requesting that the murder investigation be shifted to Delhi. She has said in her petition that a minister is seen with Shahabuddin and Mohammad Kaif, both allegedly involved in her husband's murder, in the presence of several policemen.
"If the police is deliberately not arresting Kaif and the health minister is taking photographs with proclaimed offenders, the life of Rajdeo Ranjan's wife and her two minor children is at stake," Mrs Ranjan's lawyer Kishlay Panday was quoted as saying by the Press Trust Of India.
The CBI has taken over the investigation.