Rabri Devi said the home ministry would be responsible if anything happened to Lalu Yadav. (File Photo)
Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has alleged a "conspiracy" to kill her husband Lalu Yadav and her family after the state government withdrew 32 soldiers posted at her home for security on Tuesday. Rabri Devi said today that the soldiers left around 9 pm last night.
This was hours after her home was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a corruption case.
In a
letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Rabri Devi has written: "If any untoward incident takes place with me and my family, the home ministry will be held responsible."
Speaking to reporters, she described it as a "conspiracy" by Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Modi and the state government and also insinuated that her husband was in danger. "Laluji is in jail and dying every day, I don't know if he's dying due to disease or being killed using medicines. His sugar level is rising. How do I trust the government? If the government asks us to vacate our house, we're ready to do it."
Rabri Devi's son Tejashwi Yadav, who has taken charge of the RJD or Rashtriya Janata Dal in his father's absence, also attacked Nitish Kumar and said his family would give up security provided to them by the state government. "We will give up security given to my mother as former Chief Minister, my brother (Tej Pratap) as legislator and me as opposition leader so that Nitish Kumar can focus on more productive work than petty politics," he tweeted. Nearly 15 lawmakers of his RJD have also decided to give up their security.
Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the Chief Minister had sent him notice to vacate the government bungalow he is living in. Tejashwi, who was deputy chief minister to Nitish Kumar until last July, was also questioned for over four hours on the case involving premium land owned by the Yadavs in Patna. For that land, Lalu Yadav is accused of facilitating a railway hotel contract as railway minister.
BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, dismissing Rabri Devi's allegation, said: "The government will ensure (Lalu Yadav's) safety. No one needs to worry about it. It is natural that the security provided to him has to be curtailed once he is convicted and sent to jail. But his safety will be ensured in jail and hospital."