Minutes before lalu Prasad was sentenced, along with 15 other accused in two decades old Rs 950 crore fodder scam, by the CBI court in Ranchi on Saturday, 500 km away in Patna the rank and file of his party RJD huddled at the residence of former CM Rabri Devi were swearing to fight the “injustice” and “conspiracy” hatched by the BJP, Central Government and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and give them befitting reply.
A meeting was held to chart out next course of action in the wake of the fresh jail term for lalu, where a letter written by the RJD supremo was read out. lalu had handed over this letter to his younger son and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, when he last met his father in the CBI court, a few days back. The emotional letter asked leaders and workers of the party to remain united and said that he would continue providing them guidance from behind bars. He asked them to take his message to the nook and corner of Bihar so that it reached all households and urged the people to join in his fight against injustice and for social justice and unity.
This is the sixth time lalu has been sentenced but this is the first time that he wrote such a letter to the rank and file of the party. last time he was sentenced in September 2013 with a jail term of five years and remained behind bars for about four months before being bailed out by the Jharkhand High Court.
The political atmosphere was a bit favourable to him at with UPA II at the Centre and Nitish in Bihar, who had broken alliance with the BJP and was keen to shake hands with him.But in 2018 the situation is very different and he and his party is facing plenty of odds. After conviction in two fodder scam cases, he faces four more cases in the same scandal and hearing in those pending cases is also going on. Many of his kin including wife, sons, daughters and son-in-law have also been accused in various corruption cases and several properties have also been attached.
The letter is seen in the context of possible infighting and dessertion in he party which is practically been headed by his younger son Tejashwi. Speculations are making rounds in the political circles that lalu’s absence from the scene and leadership of Tejashwi, now leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly may not augur well for the party which ruled Bihar for 15 years. The party men have agreement that 27-years old heir apparent might not be able to keep the party intact and enforce his authority. The politically immature young man is neither charismatic nor has outreach to other friendly parties which his father commanded.
Putting up a brave front Tejashwi said, “No force can scare lalu ji even though attempts are being made to demoralise him. We will continue out fight by maintaining rock solid unity. The more he is persecuted he would emerge stronger with the overwhelming support of the people. No matter he is lodged in jail lalu ji lives in the hearts of the crores of people.”