Sushil Modi denies asking Nitish to dump Lalu and join NDA

Patna, May 8 (IANS) Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday refuted media report that he has asked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to dump ally Lalu Prasad's RJD in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in the fodder scam, and join the BJP-led NDA.

Soon after the Supreme Court on Monday set aside a Ranchi High Court ruling and ordered that Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad be tried in all the remaining five fodder scam cases, Modi, a former Deputy Chief Minister and most vocal critic of Lalu since 90s, said "I have not offered any one, including JD-U led by Nitish Kumar, to join the NDA after the apex court ordered trial against Lalu Prasad."

Modi welcomed the Supreme Court's order like most of his party leaders, and said "There is no question of Nitish Kumar-led JD-U's alliance with the NDA. If Nitish Kumar agrees to dump everything to align with the BJP then only the party can think over it."

Modi said the ruling Grand Alliance of RJD, Janata Dal-United and Congress will be further weakened in view of the Supreme Court's order against Lalu. "Nitish Kumar will love to like a weak Lalu Prasad. Nitish Kumar wanted that the entire family of Lalu Prasad should bow before him."

Modi said the Grand Alliance government led by Nitish Kumar will "not last and there is no chance that it will complete its tenure in office".

The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief has already been convicted in one of the fodder scam cases and his appeal against this is pending in the Supreme Court.

With the latest apex court order, which is a major set back to Lalu, the opposition BJP is set to intensify its campaign against Lalu as it got another ready-made issue. Since last month Sushil Modi has alleged corruption in land deals by Lalu Prasad's family.

The BJP has already attacked Nitish Kumar after a tape of an alleged conversation between Lalu and jailed don-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin was aired by a news channel last Saturday.

Shahabuddin, who is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, is serving a life sentence after being convicted in over 10 cases. He was shifted to Tihar in February this year following a Supreme Court order.

After coming out of jail in September last year, Shahabuddin had termed Lalu Prasad his leader and called Nitish Kumar as the "Chief Minister of circumstance".