Back in Patna, pressure on Nitish to break silence on Lalu's CBI raids

The CM is expected to call a press conference on Monday, say JD-U sources. M I Khan reports from Patna.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is back in Patna after spending three days in Rajgir in Nalanda district, reportedly on the advice of doctors. All eyes are now on him to break his silence over the Central Bureau of Investigation raids on Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family.

"Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has returned from Rajgir and is at his official residence 1, Anne Marg in Patna. He is meeting senior party leaders and spokespersons. Whether he gives a statement on the issue today (on Sunday) or not depends on his strategy,” a Janata Dal-United leader in Patna told Rediff.com.

According to another JD-U leader, consider closed to Kumar, he is likely to call a press conference on Monday.

"Either he will call a press meet or simply issue a statement to mediapersons who have been chasing him and other party leaders since Friday,” he said.

Earlier, it was reported that Kumar, also the party president, had asked JD-U MLAs not to issue any statement on the issue as it may worsen the already strained ties between the two parties.

In last two days, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar has repeatedly demanded Kumar to break silence and take action against Lalu’s two sons – Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav-- for their alleged involvement in corruption.

Some BJP leaders have been asking Kumar to snap ties with the RJD.

The JD-U and RJD are partners in the ruling Grand Alliance along with Congress.

The CBI on Friday carried out raids at 12 places in Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Gurugram in connection with the case involving Lalu and his family members.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu, his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P K Goyal, and Lalu’s confidante Prem Chand Gupta’s wife Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

In the same year, the hotels were transferred to the IRCTC. Lalu was the railway minister in 2004-09.

IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, right, along with deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, speaking to media during an event in Patna last week. Photograph: PTI Photo