"Lalu Won't Get Out Of Jail," Says Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav Responds

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav today accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP of conspiring against his father Lalu Yadav and sending him to jail a day after Mr Kumar said the RJD chief "will never get out of the prison no matter what he does".

"Nitish Kumar yesterday in Nalanda said that we will not let Lalu get out of jail. The statement shows that the BJP and Kumar were involved in sending my father to jail," he told news agency ANI.

Without taking any names, he further alleged: "Former CBI director also said they (JDU and BJP) are involved in sending Lalu Prasad Yadav to jail." He also accused the JDU and BJP of booth capturing in the state.

The leader of opposition in Bihar attacked also attacked PM Modi in his remarks. "Nitish Kumar should understand that the case against Lalu Yadav is in the High Court. Now the court will decide whether he will come out of jail rather than Kumar or Narendra Modi," he said.

His remarks came a day after Mr Kumar, in Nalanda, said: "Lalu will not get out of jail no matter what he does. His family has been repeatedly alleging that Lalu was framed by me and he is in jail due to me. It is a baseless accusation because he was convicted by the court and sentenced to jail."

Lalu Yadav was convicted of corruption in 2017 and sentenced to six years in jail in a multi-crore fodder scam. He is undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Jharkhand's Ranchi.

Nitish Kumar also said there was complete lawlessness or "jungle raj" in Bihar when Lalu was the chief minister. "When he was arrested and jailed in 1997, Lalu made his wife (Rabri Devi) the Chief Minister. Unlike Lalu's time, today there is rule of law in Bihar," he said.

Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav fought the 2015 Bihar state election assembly together and won. But in 2017, Mr Kumar switched sides to partner the BJP over corruption allegations against Lalu Yadav's younger son and heir-apparent Tejashwi Yadav who was Deputy Chief Minister in his cabinet. 

The RJD and the Congress are contesting the national election in an alliance against the JD(U) and the BJP.

The last of seven-phased elections in Bihar will be held on May 19; votes will be counted on May 23.

(With inputs from ANI, IANS)