Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Wednesday said he and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav are not afraid of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Lalu Prasad, while participating in the discussion on the admissibility of the adjournment motion on price rise in the Lok Sabha, reminded both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership not to threaten him and Mulayam Singh Yadav in the name of CBI investigations.

“Which CBI are we afraid of? I’m not afraid of the CBI. Mulayam Singh is not afraid of CBI,” the RJD chief said, referring to the allegations they faced after their MPs abstained from voting during the cut motion moved by the opposition in the budget session of parliament demanding a rollback in fuel prices.

During the budget session, the Samajwadi Party and the RJD had assured that they would support the cut motion. But they staged a walkout instead, stating that they would not vote along with the BJP, indirectly helping the government.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari, in a rally in Chandigarh, had stated that Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh had betrayed the opposition on the cut motions because they faced CBI cases against them.

Without naming Gadkari, Lalu Prasad said: “A leader of a political party holding the top post had made derogatory remarks against me and Mulayam Singh. He, however, apologised later.”

He said such statements were aimed at demoralising them.

“Nobody can dictate to us,” the RJD leader said, adding that they were leaders who had risen from suppressed sections of the society.

Lalu Prasad said he could withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on other burning issues like the government’s failure to implement the Ranganath Mishra Commission and Sachar committee reports, both aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of the Muslim community.