Case against Union Minister Giriraj Singh for grabbing Dalit-owned land

Union minister Giriraj Singh has been named in a case of grabbing land belonging to a dalit in his native Bihar, police said on Thursday.

The FIR against Singh and 32 others was lodged on February 2 by the order of a Special SC&ST court where the complainant had filed an application under Section 156(3) of CrPC seeking directions to police for registering a case against the accused, SHO of Danapur police station in Patna district Sandeep Kumar Singh told PTI.

Singh, BJP MP from Nawada, is Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

The complainant, Ram Narain Prasad, a resident of Asopur village, alleged that the accused grabbed a land parcel of two acres and six decimal that he owned. He claimed he was abused when he protested their action.

"As per the court order, an FIR has been lodged under relevant sections of the IPC and also the SC/ST Act. Further investigations are on", the SHO said.

The registration of the land grab case prompted Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the BJP was an ally of his party JD(U).

"Nitish Kumar ji, don't hesitate. Speak up, awaken your inner voice and morality and rush to the Governor's House with your letter of resignation. Your dearest friend Giriraj Singh has grabbed three acres of land belonging to Dalits", Yadav said in a tweet.

Yadav's tweet was an obvious dig at Kumar for having resigned as chief minister last July after Tejashwi Yadav's name cropped up in corruption cases including benami land deals. Tejashwi, RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son, was then the Deputy Chief Minister.

Kumar had also walked out of the 3-party Grand Alliance, which included the RJD and Congress, and formed government with the BJP.

In another tweet, Yadav also took potshots at Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who has been coming up with disclosures of alleged benami land transactions involving Lalu Prasad's family.

"Where are you, master of disclosures and rumours Sushil Modi? Your favorite Union minister Giriraj Singh has grabbed land belonging to Dalits. Why is SuMo keeping quiet? Do you have a share in the land?" Yadav said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the development, BJP spokesman Rajiv Ranjan said Giriraj Singh is a law abiding citizen and will present his side of the story before the court when the time comes. Attempts by some people to politicize the issue is deplorable, he said.