Bihar: Deputy CM Sushil Modi fires fresh salvo against Lalu Prasad & family

India's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav speaks during a meeting with his party workers in the eastern Indian city of Patna June 20, 2009. REUTERS/Krishna Murari Kishan (INDIA POLITICS) - RTR24UMC

Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi today came out with a fresh allegation against Lalu Prasad and his family saying that the RJD chief's wife had acquired land worth over Rs 2 crore in lieu of which favours were allegedly granted.

The senior BJP leader alleged that one Ramashray Prasad Yadav was made chairman of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) besides one Mohammad Shamim was nominated as an MLC from the governor's quota when the RJD was in power.

Ramashray Prasad Yadav was the chairman of BPSC from January 1991 to January 1997 when Prasad was the chief minister while Mohammad Shamim was nominated as MLC from the governor's quota in 1998 when Rabri Devi was the chief minister, Sushil Modi told a press conference here.

The deputy chief minister was flanked by the state BJP vice president Devesh Kumar, party chief whip and MLA Arun Kumar Sinha and Nitin Navin, also an MLA.

The deputy chief minister alleged that Ramashray Prasad Yadav, first of all, registered a plot of land measuring 6726 sq ft, around 6 cottah, at Saguna Mor area in Patna worth over Rupees 2 crore to one Mohammad Shamim and his wife Sofia Tabbasum in 1993-94.

On May 13, 2005, Shamim and his wife Tabbasum gave the "power of attorney" to Rabri Devi who in her election affidavit showed the property as her own asset, Sushil Modi said.

He asked as to why did Rabri Devi mention in her affidavit that it was her asset when she was just given power of attorney of the said property ?

"We have come across the various innovative ways and means of acquiring properties by Lalu Prasad...So far we have seen that Prasad and his family have been acquiring properties through shell companies, gifts, direct registry of land but now he has devised a new and innovative way of acquiring land through 'power of attorney'," Sushil Modi said.

Taking a jibe at Lalu Prasad, the senior BJP leader said that he (Lalu) must be rewarded for coming out with new and innovative ideas of acquiring land, the ideas which even agencies like Income Tax cannot think of.

Sushil Modi wondered as how can Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, be made the caretaker of the land of one Mohammad Shamim as it is the otherway round that people normally become caretakers of the property of former CMs.

Meanwhile, the RJD chief dodged a query about Sushil Modi's allegations at a press conference here.

Prasad, however, said that all the documents about his property are in public domain.

RJD Bihar unit spokesman and MLA Shakti Singh Yadav said that "Sushil Modi's allegations vis-a-vis Lalu Prasad's family is concocted. He has not said anything new as everything is in the public domain."

The spokesman said that "We have been demanding independent probe into the charges levelled by RJD against Sushil Modi's relatives- Mahavir Modi and R K Modi- who have acquired benami properties through shell companies. The Centre should conduct investigation.