'This is reverse Robinhood': BJP attacks Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi after CBI's fresh charge sheet in land-for-jobs scam

Hitting out at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family for involvement in land-for-jobs scam worth Rs 600 crore, the BJP on Tuesday said that the Yadav family adopted a “reverse Robinhood” strategy where in they looted the poor by acquiring their land and filled their pockets.

“…This is reverse Robinhood. Robinhood used to loot the rich and provide for the poor. But in reverse Robinhood, the first family of corruption loots the poor, acquires their land and fills its pockets – indulging in Rs 600 crores of scam…,” said BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla.

#WATCH | On RJD chief Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi & Tejashwi Yadav named in chargesheet filed by CBI in land-for-jobs alleged scam case, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, “…This is reverse Robinhood. Robinhood used to loot the rich and provide for the poor. But in reverse… pic.twitter.com/wpNdLhAS1T

— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023

His comments came a day after the CBI filed a charge sheet against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, his father and former railway minister Lalu Prasad, and mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi in connection with the land-for-jobs scam.

Though this is the second charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case before a special court, it is the first time that Tejashwi Yadav has been named as an accused.

Besides the three members of the Yadav family, the federal agency has named 14 individuals and entities in the charge sheet.

The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and others in addition to provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

This comes days after over a dozen opposition parties, including Lalu Prasad’s RJD, resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a crucial meeting in Patna on 23 June.

The BJP on Monday demanded the “immediate” dismissal of Tejashwi Yadav as Bihar deputy chief minister and reminded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of his stand that he would not compromise on corruption.

The CBI’s case pertains to Group-D appointments for ‘substitutes’ made in Western Central Zone based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh during Lalu Prasad’s tenure as the railway minister from 2004 to 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of Lalu Prasad’s family or associates, according to officials.

The agency had registered the case on 18 May, 2022 against Lalu Prasad and 15 others including his wife, two daughters, and unidentified public servants and private persons.

A probe into similar recruitment in other railway zones is going on and will be part of future charge sheets, the officials said.

The CBI had filed the first charge sheet in the case in October last year against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and others pertaining to the appointments in the Central Zone of Railways based in Mumbai.

With inputs from agencies

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