CBI raids in Bihar over land-for-job scam on day of Nitish’s floor test

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday raided RJD MLC Sunil Singh’s residence reportedly in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam. “It is being done intentionally.

There is no meaning to it. They are doing it out of fear,” the RJD leader said. The raid comes as chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan is all set to prove its majority in the Assembly as the two-day special session begins today. In May this year, the CBI registered a fresh case against former railway minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters and 12 others in connection with the alleged scam in which it has been accused that jobs were given in exchange for land parcels.

The CBI initiated a preliminary enquiry in 2021 into the charge that when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the railway minister during 2004-09, several people were appointed as substitutes to the Group-D posts in zones in exchange for land. They were later regularised.

Two RJD leaders were raided on Wednesday — MP Ashfaque Karim and MLC Sunil Singh.

“Useless to say that it’s a raid by ED or IT or CBI as ultimately it’s a raid by BJP. They work under BJP now, their offices run with BJP script. Today is Floor Test (in Bihar Assembly) & what’s happening here? It has become predictable: RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said.

Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha on Tuesday refused to step down in the wake of the no-confidence motion moved by MLAs of the Grand Alliance. “I view the no-confidence motion as springing from a lack of trust, not in me, but the Chair itself. The notice of the motion received at the Vidhan Sabha secretariat has done away with rules, regulations and parliamentary niceties,” he read from a written statement.