PATNA: With the Bihar government having withdrawn security guards deployed at the residence of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday accused the ruling JD(U) and BJP of hatching a conspiracy to have her entire family eliminated.
Thirty-two Bihar Military Police (BMP) personnel deployed at the 10, Circular Road residence in Patna, where Yadav and his wife live, were withdrawn late on Tuesday evening. The move followed an order issued from the state home department, which is under Chief Minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar.
A few hours earlier, CBI sleuths had conducted a search of the residence and questioned Rabri Devi and her younger son and Bihar Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav in connection with the Railways’ hotel tender scam. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi having been in Bihar on Tuesday, RJD leaders dubbed the CBI raid and the security withdrawal as “pre-planned moves born out of political vendetta”.
The state government, however, said security guards provided to Lalu were taken back because he has been in judicial custody following conviction in four fodder scam cases. “There has been no reduction in the security details of Rabri Devi and her two sons,” said state ADGP (headquarters) SK Singhal to reporters.
Hurt by the move, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi on Wednesday surrendered to the government all the security guards the family had got, including those provided to Lalu Prasad Yadav and his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav.
“They have done this out of political vendetta. It is a part of their conspiracy to have Lalujee and our entire family eliminated. Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi have hatched this conspiracy,” said Rabri Devi to reporters. “But we will continue going across Bihar and meeting people. The people will protect us,” she added.
In a letter she later shot off to the CM, she wrote: “If any untoward incident takes place with me or with my family members, the responsibility will solely lie with the state home department and the minister in charge… Congratulations to you and your government for this measure”.
RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwari said: “Nitish Kumar seems to have lost all discretion. Considering the recent caste-related violence, withdrawal of security guards from Rabri Devi’s residence leaves the family open to such attacks”.
An aggrieved Tejashwi Yadav returned his security guards and dubbed Kumar as “the most namby-pamby CM of the country”. Several RJD legislators also started surrendering their security guards to the government.