BJP targets Nitish Kumar over Lalu's leaked tele-talk to Shahabuddin

Mumbai: The BJP today flayed RJD chief Lalu Prasad for his telephonic talk with the "convicted politician" Mohammad Shahabuddin and questioned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in this connection and wanted to know whether "criminal proceeding" would be initiated against Mr Prasad. "Such tele-conversation is a text book case of constitutional impropriety. Lalu Prasad is not a small leader.

He is a big leader in JD(U)-RJD alliance and has two of his children in the Bihar government including one as Deputy Chief Minister," BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here. Referring to 'sting' by a TV channel wherein both Mr Lalu Prasad and Mr Shahbuddin have been shown talking to each other, the BJP leader said "Shahabuddin represents worst kind of criminal-politics nexus" and thus Mr Lalu Prasad has committed a "wrong".

In this connection, Mr Prasad said the offence is two-fold, while Shahabuddin as a convicted person cannot have access to the mobile at the same time it is worse that Lalu Prasad is found entertaining his call. "In fact, as the audio footage telecast by the news channel shows Lalu Prasad takes cognisance of Shahabuddin's observation on the local Superintendent of Police and tries to dial the SP," Mr Prasad said. Elected four times as a Member of Parliament from Siwan, after his conviction in several criminal cases, Shahabuddin was barred from contesting the 2009 general elections.

In May 2007, Shahabuddin was found guilty in a case of "abducting with intent to murder", and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Besides questioning Nitish Kumar, the BJP leader also wanted to know of "secular leaders" like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and Sharad Yadav on whether in the name of creating an "alternative politics", they would compromise on issue of fighting the criminilisation of politics. "On behalf of the BJP, I would like to ask Nitish Kumar whether he will order initiating criminal procedures against Lalu Prasad," Mr Prasad said.

Referring to the Left leaders, he wanted to know whether communist parties too would compromise on the issue as Shahabuddin was also allegedly involved in eliminating a few Left leaders in Bihar. Shahabuddin's bail was "cancelled" in 2016 and on February 15, 2017, the Supreme Court had directed that he should be transferred from Siwan Jail in Bihar to Tihar Jail in Delhi. (UNI)