As you sow, so you reap -- this was Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi's reaction to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's conviction in a fodder scam case by a CBI court in Ranchi today.
Modi was one of the petitioners, on whose PIL the Patna High Court had, in 1996, ordered a CBI inquiry into the cases relating to the fodder scam.
In a series of tweets, Modi pointed at the money- laundering cases slapped against the "whole family" of Prasad and hinted that the RJD president's son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav could be the next in line in the "process of going to jail".
"Jo boya so paya. Boya ped babul ka to aam kahan se hoi. Yeh to hona hi tha (As you sow, so you reap. If you plant a Babul tree, how will you get mangoes. This had to happen)," the BJP leader said in his first tweet after the court verdict.
This was followed by another tweet: "I was one of the petitioner in fodder scam PIL which resulted in CBI inquiry & and monitoring by Patna H Court (sic)."
"Process of going to jail started. Today father, next who? Lalu knows? Whole family involved in corruption. Either fodder scam or benami property? Today chara Next LaRa? (sic)," read another tweet.
Modi also came down heavily on RJD national vice- president Shivanand Tiwary, who was a co-petitioner in the PIL which led to the CBI inquiry into the fodder scam, saying he was "defending the indefensible" by coming out in support of Prasad.
"Lalu had to go to jail because of PIL filed by Shivanand, Lalan Singh and myself but now Shivanand defending the indefensible (sic)," he said.
Lalan Singh, a JD(U) leader, is currently a state minister.
Tiwary, who was expelled from the RJD shortly before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls for anti-party activities, had told a news channel that he felt he had "committed a sin" by filing the PIL, "which paved way the for Nitish Kumar to come to power in the state".
"Lalu enjoys a mass support, which nothing can erode. He has already been convicted and sentenced in one of the fodder scam cases. He is being sent to jail again and again as a part of a conspiracy," he said.
Meanwhile, senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh said the party was united and waiting for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when its workers and leaders would fulfil the dreams of Prasad, who fought for social justice.
"The party will continue with its fight and struggle for social justice, right from the streets to Parliament, under the leadership of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav," he said, while appealing to the partymen to register their protest in a peaceful manner.
Singh also alleged that those who could not vote Prasad out of power had hatched a conspiracy against him.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)