Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav addressing media persons in Patna on Wednesday. PTI Photo
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said there was no threat to the state’s ruling grand alliance.
Tejashwi has been in the eye of the storm ever since he was named an accused in an FIR lodged by the CBI.
“There is no question of my resignation as I have done nothing wrong while discharging my duties as the state’s deputy chief minister,” Tejashwi said after attending a Cabinet meeting convened by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here on Wednesday.
Nitish, however, did not speak to the media.
On Friday, CBI sleuths raided RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi’s residence here in connection with the land-for-hotels case.
Breaking his silence for the first time since the raids, Tejashwi said, “I was barely 15 years then (referring to the 2005 case when Lalu was the railway minister in UPA-I). The CBI has framed me at the behest of the BJP, which was earlier scared of Lalu Prasad, but now feels threatened by his 28-year-old son. We will expose BJP’s design and the political vendetta.”
Hitting out at senior BJP leader Sushil Modi in particular, Tejashwi said the BJP’s dream of coming to power by wrecking the grand alliance won’t come true. “There is no threat to the government and it will complete its full term. Those who are levelling allegations against me should answer whether I have done anything wrong as Bihar’s deputy chief minister, handling three ministries. If no, then why resign?” said a confident Tejashwi.
Tejashwi made these statements barely a day after Nitish asked the RJD to make its stand clear on the deputy chief minister’s continuance in the government within four days.
JD(U) spokesperson Ajay Alok, however, reminded the RJD that Nitish, in an oblique reference to Tejashwi, had asked him to come clean.
“The matter is serious as it is not merely an allegation. An FIR has been lodged by the CBI and Tejashwi has been named an accused. Nitish Kumar is known for zero tolerance towards corruption. Now, it’s up to the RJD to take a call,” Alok said.