Agitated RJD forces adjournment of Bihar assembly till lunch

The Bihar assembly was today adjourned till lunch break as opposition RJD members created ruckus over a media report claiming that CBI has lodged FIR against party chief Lalu Prasad in a graft case notwithstanding agency's legal wing opinion that there was "no evidence" against him.

As soon as Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary took the Chair to start the day's proceedings, RJD legislators led by leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav were on their feet, many of them waving copies of the report carried by a leading English daily.

The opposition members shouted slogans alleging that the report proved that Prasad was being "framed" in corruption cases as part of a "political conspiracy" and probe agencies were acting upon instructions of NDA government at the Centre.

In the news report it has been claimed that Prasad - a former Railway Minister - was booked in the land for hotels scam despite opposition from the CBI's legal wing.

The Speaker asked the opposition members to take their seat and that they may raise the issue during the zero hour. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shravan Kumar also said that the government was ready to respond to whatever questions the opposition had if the latter did not obstruct the proceedings.

However, as the RJD members, who were later joined in slogan shouting by other opposition parties, did not relent, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

Talking to reporters outside the assembly, Tejashwi Yadav said "the newspaper report vindicates our stand that Lalu Prasad and his supporters are being harassed in the name of corruption cases".

"In the so-called land for hotels scam, an FIR has been lodged without any irregularities. This is a clear indication of investigating agencies acting under political pressure".

"It is the right and duty of the opposition to draw the attention of the government towards its own failings. Tardy functioning of probe agencies is a glaring example of a government's failings and we wanted to point this out on the floor of the House", Yadav said.

"The Nitish Kumar government too owes an explanation on a number of issues like extension granted to Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh whom the CBI court has named an accused in the fodder scam and involvement of close relatives of Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi in the multi-crore Srijan scam", the RJD leader alleged.