Patna: The ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar has deployed an army of spokespersons to strongly and aggressively counter allegations, in the wake of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and journalists constantly grilling party chief Lalu Prasad and his family over one issue or the other.
The RJD chief has been the target of attacks for more than a month.
Sources said deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has asked two spokespersons to be ready every day to hold a press conference in the party office and defend/counter allegations, if any. The spokespersons have been directed to get fully updated and hold press conferences at least four days in a week.
“You will have to be alert all the time and give a befitting reply to the charges levelled by the opposition,” said a senior RJD official quoting Tejashwi, younger son of RJD chief Prasad.
“We were asked to be more expressive in the media and to speak on any subject only after getting proper briefing from top RJD leaders so that the party stand on any issue was well articulated,” a party spokesperson Ashok Kuma Sinha told the media on Thursday.
The development assumes significance in the light of constant expose by the BJP on Prasad and his family allegedly getting involved in shady land deals and other corrupt practices. The expose is continuing for the past over a month.
Trouble began in May after the BJP came out with an expose showing Prasad family allegedly involved in land deals by forming front companies. This was soon followed by extensive raids by the Income Tax sleuths on 22 locations in Delhi and adjoining areas in connection with alleged benami deals worth Rs10 billion (Dh570 million) by RJD chief Prasad family.
Even before the matter could subside, IT department issued show cause notices for penalty to Prasad’s elder daughter and parliamentarian Misa Bharti for not appearing for questioning in money laundering case against her.
Earlier Bharti and her husband were issued summons by the IT department in connection with benami assets case. Summons were issued days after her accountant Rajesh Agarwal was arrested in connection with the Enforcement Directorate probe into Rs80 billion money laundering racket.
The RJD president again came under fire when his health minister son Tej Pratap Yadav deployed a whole contingent of doctors at his residence when his father fell sic last month. The doctors’ team remained deployed at his residence of nine days until Prasad recovered, as per reports.
And finally, an awkward situation got created for the party when a battery of media persons fired volley of questions to Prasad, leaving him hugely enraged. It all happened when Prasad reached Delhi on Wednesday to attend a meeting called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss over the Presidential candidate.
Reports said moments after he landed in at the airport, the media persons confronted Prasad and fired volley of questions ranging from his family’s alleged involvement in the benami land deals, Income tax inquiry into his ill-gotten property and his relations with jailed RJD politician Shhaabuddin who was shifted to high-security Tihar jail in February this year on the order of the Supreme Court.
Witnesses said initially the RJD president maintained restraint but soon lost his cool and allegedly threatened to assault the media persons on being frequently quizzed over his alleged involvement in corruption.
