Former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad has once again courted controversy for allegedly using mobile phones to influence MLAs from Bihar to support the mahagathbandhan candidate for the post of Speaker of Bihar Assembly.
Lalu Prasad convicted in four fodder scam cases is lodged at Kelly bungalow in Ranchi under judicial custody and as per the jail manual prisoners are not allowed to use any communication device.
An audio clip has gone viral, in which Lalu Prasad is heard talking to a Bihar BJP MLA Lalan Paswan. In the audio Lalu is directing Paswan to abstain from the election process for Speaker in Bihar.
BJP senior leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi tweeted that Lalu Prasad is trying to lure NDA MLAs and he is using a mobile phone number 918051216302 to communicate with people.
The said number is registered in the name of one Irfan Ansari. He is said to be a close confidant and attendant of Lalu Prasad besides is the office bearer of Jharkhand RJD. Irfan is learnt to have free access to Lalu Prasad and insides of the Kelly bungalow.
Well placed sources said that a day after Bihar assembly election was declared and the RJD led Mahagathbandhan narrowly missed majority mark; Lalu Prasad had called Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awami Morcha, Mukesh Sahani of Vikashsheel Inshan Party, Asaduddin Owaisi and independent MLA Sumit Singh to garner support for formation of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav led government in Bihar.
Now, the BJP has started mounting pressure upon the Hemant Soren led Government to lodge a criminal case against Lalu Prasad for attempting a horse trading.
“We request the honourable court to take cognizance and transfer Lalu Prasad to somewhere else,” said former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP senior Babulal Marandi.
“He has tried to lure an MLA of Bihar Assembly, which is a case of horse trading. It seems there is no law and order in Jharkhand else a prisoner can’t be allowed to use a mobile phone,” Marandi said.
Spokesperson of Jharkhand BJP, Pratul Nath Shahdeo, who has long been accusing the Hemant Soren government for extending hospitality to Lalu Prasad beyond jail manual said that on many occasions Lalu Prasad violated rules.
“Kelly bungalow remained the virtual office of the RJD where people frequently come to meet Lalu Prasad. Wherever a prisoner is taken or shifted that place automatically becomes jail. But, in the case of Lalu Prasad the State government gives a very strange logic,” said Shahdeo.
On being contacted IG (Jail) Birendra Bhushan said that he has shot a letter to Ranchi district administration to investigate how Lalu Prasad was using a mobile phone despite being under judicial custody.
“Mobile phones are not allowed. I have asked the Ranchi district administration to see how such things is happening and or whether the allegation is true or false. I have also directed for surprised inspection,” Bhushan said.
Few months back Bhushan had directed district administration to beef-up security at Kelly bungalow in the wake of unauthorised visit of outsiders.