Lalu Yadav is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases. (File)
Patna:
BJP MLA Lalan Kumar Paswan, whom jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad had allegedly telephoned from Ranchi, told the Bihar Assembly today that he feared “physical and mental harm” after having exposed the “powerful” leader.
Mr Paswan, who represents Pirpainti constituency, made the claim in an interjection while leader of the opposition Tejaswhi Yadav, the RJD supremo’s younger son and heir apparent, was taking part in the debate on governor’s address to the newly constituted Assembly.
Rising from his seat, Mr Paswan, who filed a complaint against Lalu Prasad with the state vigilance department on Thursday, told the chair: “I have made a disclosure about a telephonic call by the national president of a political party. I fear physical and mental harm, to myself and my family, from the powerful people involved in the enticement offered to me.”
Lalu Prasad, who is serving sentence in Ranchi for his involvement in fodder scam cases, had made the purported call on Tuesday, when he had asked Mr Paswan to remain “absent” during the election of the speaker scheduled the day after.
In the audio clip of the conversation that was shared on social media websites, Mr Paswan can be heard expressing his inability to do so, pointing out that he was bound by the party discipline.
“We will take care of you… we will be having our own Speaker. This government will fall and you will be made a minister thereafter,” the former chief minister can be heard as saying.
Former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who had flagged the alleged telephone call on his Twitter handle on Tuesday night, also shared on social media the contents of the case lodged against Lalu Prasad.
After making his statement in the House, Mr Paswan said: “As a member of this House, I seek protection. I feel insecure in the midst of such a vitiated political atmosphere. There is still a perception that those from weaker sections are always up for sale.”
The proceedings were drowned in pandemonium for a few minutes as minister Shravan Kumar said: “It is indeed a serious matter. The House must ensure safety and security of its members.”
Tejaswhi Yadav, who had been criticising the government over its alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, said: “The ruling dispensation is obviously angry with me. The anger is predictably being directed at our national president.”
Earlier, Tejaswhi Yadav’s repeated claims that the government was formed through the “chor darwaza” (back door) — referring to alleged manipulations by pliant officials in closely-fought constituencies during the recent assembly polls — was strongly criticised by parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.
“The government has been formed by a coalition which won majority in a legitimate electoral exercise. In this backdrop, the expression ‘chor darwaz’ shall be deemed unparliamentary,” Mr Chaudhary said.
The RJD has been making the “back-door” barb since 2017, when Nitish Kumar made an abrupt exit from the Grand Alliance and formed a government with the BJP within 24 hours of his resignation.
Mr Chaudhary, a senior leader of the JD(U), also expressed disapproval of references to the chief minister having been named in a murder case dating back to 1991 and some other “unsubstantiated allegations” and requested that these be deleted from the records of the proceedings.
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