After RJD Chief Lalu’s house raids were termed as witchhunt, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday that the government and the BJP have no role in the CBI raids against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family. The information and broadcasting minister said the Central Bureau of Investigation was doing its duty and acting in accordance with the mandate given to it by law.
This morning, the CBI raided 12 places across India over the over alleged irregularities in awarding of tenders for hotel maintenance when Lalu Prasad was the chief was the railway’s minister. A case had been registered earlier against Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejaswi, who is also the deputy CM of Bihar.
Slamming those who are calling it a political feud Naidu said, “What is political vendetta? Where is BJP in this? I am not able to understand. Do you mean to say that anybody against whom any charge is there, it should not be inquired into at all?”
“CBI is doing its duty and it is allowed to do so. Earlier it was not allowed… after our government came there is no interference and that is why CBI is free and acting as per the mandate was given to it…,” he said.
The raids started at 7 AM in the morning, were conducted at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurugram. Significantly, these raids come in the wake of income-tax department’s launched a search operation in Delhi and nearby places in connection with corruption charges against Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, who were also questioned.
