The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, in connection with a land-for-jobs money laundering case. According to sources reported by news agency PTI, Tejashwi Yadav has been asked to appear before the agency on January 5. This development comes after Tejashwi Yadav skipped a previous summons scheduled for December 22.
Responding to the summons, Tejashwi Yadav expressed disdain, labeling it as routine and accusing central agencies of acting at the behest of the BJP. He stated, “There is nothing new in the summons… But now it seems to have become routine.”
Additionally, Lalu Yadav, who held the position of Railway Minister during the alleged scam period, has also been summoned by the ED to depose on December 27. Lalu Yadav criticized the Centre, indicating a pattern of targeting certain states post the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
The land-for-jobs scam dates back to 2004-2009 when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister in the Congress-led coalition. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged irregular appointments in the railways, asserting violations of recruitment norms. The CBI claimed that individuals who secured positions in the railways, either directly or through family connections, sold land to Lalu Yadav’s family at significantly reduced rates.
The Yadav family has consistently denied these allegations, attributing them to the misuse of central agencies by the BJP-led government at the center.
The summoning of Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu Yadav by the ED marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the land-for-jobs scam, stirring political ripples amidst allegations of selective targeting by central agencies.
Sources By Agencies
