The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav and his son, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, in connection with an alleged land-for-jobs scam. While Tejashwi has been directed to appear before the agency on Friday, Lalu has been asked to attend on December 27, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation.
This summons comes two months after the duo received bail in a related case. The ED’s probe into the land-for-jobs scam has taken a pivotal turn, marking the first instance of Lalu Yadav being summoned regarding this case. Previously, Tejashwi was questioned by the ED in April, indicating the agency’s persistent scrutiny into the matter.
The land-for-jobs scandal is under investigation by both the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Earlier, in October, a Delhi court granted bail to Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi (a former chief minister), and Tejashwi after the agency filed its second chargesheet in the case.
Lalu Yadav, the chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is a significant political figure in Bihar, part of a coalition government comprising Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Congress, and Left parties. Additionally, he is recognized as a key architect of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to counter the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, scheduled within four months.
The INDIA bloc has alleged the misuse of central agencies to target opposition parties, aligning with claims of political motivations behind the ED’s summoning of Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi. This move comes amid a similar summons to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by the ED in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.
The alleged land-for-jobs scandal implicates Lalu Yadav’s tenure as the railway minister in the UPA government (2004-2009), suggesting preferential appointments in the railways, bypassing established procedures without public advertisement. Reportedly, individuals from Patna were appointed in various zonal railways without due process.
The investigation further alleges a quid pro quo, indicating that these appointed individuals allegedly sold land to members of the Yadav family at significantly reduced rates, sometimes as low as one-fifth of the market value.
The summoning of Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi marks a critical phase in the investigation, elevating the scrutiny over the alleged irregularities during Lalu Yadav’s ministerial tenure, a matter that continues to reverberate politically in Bihar and beyond.
Sources By Agencies
