To show solidarity towards the party Chief lalu Prasad, RJD workers will gift 11000 new members to him by conducting intensive membership drive on January 1 all over the State. Prasad is currently lodged at Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, after being convicted by a Special CBI Court in a fodder scam case.
“An intensive membership drive will be conducted all over the State on the occasion of New Year with a target of making 11000 members on a single day on January 1,” said RJD Jharkhand president Annapurna Devi. During the membership drive, people will also be made aware of the partiality being done with the leader by the Jail authorities, she added.
“Partiality is definitely being done with lalu Ji as it is nowhere written in the Jail manual that only three persons will be allowed to meet an inmate in week,” Annapurna said. She added that the RJD workers will celebrate the New Year only after Prasad is released from the Jail.
Meanwhile, Prasad’s counsel Prabhat Kumar informed a petition would be filed in the concerned court seeking directions to the jail authorities to allow him to meet his client as and when required in connection with the other fodder scam cases which are pending in the various courts in Ranchi.
“Being his counsel, they cannot stop me to meet my client in the jail as several other cases are pending in different courts. I will approach the court as soon as it opens on January 2,” he added.
Incidentally, the Jail authorities allegedly prevented Kumar from meeting him inside the jail for consultations in connection with the fodder scam cases.
He also claimed that after making him wait for about an hour, the jail administration refused to give permission to meet his client.
January 1, also being first day of the week, Prasad younger son and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejsaswi Yadav is likely to visit him in jail. “Though it is not conformed, Tejaswi Yadav may visit Ranchi on January 1 and meet lalu ji,” said the RJD State chief.
Special CBI court of Shivpal Singh held lalu Prasad, a former Bihar chief minister, and 15 others guilty of embezzling Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994. His predecessor Jagannath Mishra, who was also among the accused, was acquitted, along with five others. Decision on the quantum of punishment will be announced on 3 January.