RJD will approach SC soon over Srijan scam: Lalu

Patna, Sep 12 (IANS) RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said his party will soon approach the Supreme Court seeking monitoring of the ongoing CBI probe into the Rs 2,000-crore Srijan scam.

"RJD will approach the Supreme Court soon with documentary evidences to monitor the CBI probe into the multi-crore-rupee Srijan scam in Bihar. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi is directly involved in the scam and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Nitish Kumar has protected him despite knowing it," Lalu Prasad told media persons here.

He said the party will not sit silent over this mega-scam. "We will go from the peoples' court to the country's apex court. The state government is trying to shield people involved in the Srijan scam."

Launching a scathing attack on Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad said: "Nitish Kumar has lied in public over the Srijan scam. He was fully aware of the scam since 2006. Even a CAG report in 2008 had referred to the scam and then a District Magistrate of Bhagalpur had informed the government about it. But everything was ignored and suppressed in full knowledge of Nitish Kumar."

The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief said Nitish Kumar should explain how public money in crores of rupees was looted. "Nitish Kumar should have to face a fact-wise reply session in public as to why he was sitting over the scam and why he tried to hide the scam. People want to know his explanation."

Questioning the CBI, which has began a probe into the scam, Lalu Prasad wondered why any FIRs have not been registered against Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi so far.

He said he will have to hold a series of press conferences in the coming days to expose Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi's involvement in the scam. "It is just a beginning, wait for more to come."

He also said that after information about the scam reached Delhi, the BJP leadership had put pressure on Nitish Kumar to break the Grand Alliance of JD-U, RJD and Congress in Bihar and join hands with the BJP to form a new government. "Nitish Kumar was blackmailed by BJP to frame him in a scam and he was put under tremendous pressure to finalise a deal to dump RJD and Congress and form a government with BJP. Look, how many times Nitish Kumar had visited Delhi in July 2017. He surrendered to BJP to save himself."

Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who is Lalu Prasad's younger son, produced two alleged documentary evidences before media persons in connection with the scam.

"CAG report in 2008 clearly mentioned about the scam but Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi ignored it." Tejashwi, who is a former Deputy Chief Minister, said.

After the Opposition RJD demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the "mega scam", the Chief Minister also recommended the same last month. The CBI has already began to probe the scam.

The Srijan scam involves a Bhagalpur-based NGO, Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Ltd, which used to provide vocational training to women. The NGO allegedly pilfered funds meant for government welfare schemes from the bank accounts of the Bhagalpur district administration.

According to police, so far 20 people have been arrested and over two dozen FIRs, including 10 by CBI, have been lodged in connection with the scam.