Lalu's disease political, not physical: Senior BJP leader

Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister C.P. Thakur on Tuesday taunted RJD chief Lalu Prasad, saying he is suffering from a "political disease" and not from any physical disease, and there is no treatment for this disease in AIIMS.

Thakur's remarks followed the hue and cry made by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders here as convicted Lalu Prasad was shifted to Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Tuesday, a day after he was discharged from AIIMS in Delhi.

He was undergoing treatment for heart and kidney-related ailments at AIIMS.

Thakur, a well known physician himself, told the media: "Lalu has no physical ailment ... he suffers from political disease, which has no cure anywhere, not even at AIIMS."

Thakur, in his mid-80s, said that the theory of conspiracy and political pressure to shift Lalu to Ranchi were all baseless allegations.

Lalu's younger son and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, said on Monday that the decision to shift his father from AIIMS in New Delhi to the Ranchi hospital was part of a conspiracy to kill him.

"Laluji is not well, he is still seriously ill. I met him last week and saw his bad health condition. It is surprising why Laluji has been shifted from AIIMS to a Ranchi hospital. Everyone knows AIIMS is best for treatment for Laluji who is suffering from several serious diseases," Tejashwi said.

Lalu had also claimed that it was a conspiracy to shift him from AIIMS to Ranchi.

On Tuesday, the former Bihar Chief Minister reached Ranchi by the Rajdhani Express. He was taken to RIMS in an ambulance and has been admitted in the cardiology department.

He has been convicted in four fodder scam cases since 2013 -- the latest being the Dumka treasury case in which a special CBI court sentenced him to 14 years in jail.

--IANS

ik/nir/bg