Nitish Kumar claims central govt using ED, CBI to settle ‘political scores’

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar on Saturday used blunt language against the decision to drop charges of using federal investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a means of handling political accounts.

Kumar spoke to the media about fresh raids by central agencies on opposition leaders, including Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. “It happened in 2017. Then we (JDU-RJD) went our separate ways. Five years passed, and when we got together, there were raids again. What can I say?” Kumar was quoted. Kumar's remarks came hours after the CBI summoned Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for questioning in the land works case.

Earlier on Friday, the ED raided Yadav's residence in Delhi's Friends Colony in a case involving people allegedly employed by the railways in exchange for land donated or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and its associates. Yadav was earlier summoned for questioning on March 4 but failed to appear before CBI sleuths, after which a new date was set for Saturday, as per repored.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader was asked to appear for questioning on Saturday morning but is yet to reach the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters, they said. Earlier, former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi were questioned in the case.

The CBI has filed a chargesheet against Prasad, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and 14 others under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and all the accused were summoned on the 15th, officials said. The ED case, filed under the penal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, is based on this CBI complaint.

In response to the raids, Yadav's RJD party tweeted a video of the RJD scion at an event talking about providing jobs to youth in Bihar. The tweet said that the BJP is in trouble because of Yadav's commitment to the people, hence the ruling party sent ED, I-T and CBI to raid the residence and offices of Yadav and his family members.