Would rather die happily than follow BJP’s rule, says Lalu Yadav after fodder scam case verdict

Shortly after the special CBI court pronounced verdict in the fodder scam case, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday said that rather than practicing BJP’s rule, he would die for social justice.

“Rather than practising BJP’s Simple Rule - “Follow us or We will Fix you”. I will die happily fixing myself for Social justice, harmony & equality,” Lalu tweeted after he was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail and was slapped with Rs 5 lakh fine in the fodder scam case.

Ahead of the sentencing, RJD in a media briefing accused the BJP and Nitish Kumar of conspiring against Lalu.

“If Lalu had compromised with BJP, he would be the most truthful person for them like Raja Harishchandra. It is clear that the BJP-RSS combine is scared of Lalu even while he is in jail and is doing all that it can to silence his voice,” RJD chief’s son Tejashwi said while addressing reporters.

The court had convicted Prasad for offences of cheating, along with criminal conspiracy, under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The scam is related to withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deogarh Treasury between 1990 and 1994 when Prasad was the chief minister of Bihar.

The 69-year-old RJD supremo, in a written plea yesterday, had sought leniency from the CBI court citing illness and old age, according to his counsel Chittaranjan Prasad.

The RJD went into a huddle immediately after the pronouncement of the sentence. RJD sources said that the party would appeal against the verdict.

This is the second fodder scam case in which Prasad has been jailed. He was sent to prison for five years on September 30, 2013.

Prasad was granted bail by the Supreme Court after having spent over two-and-a-half months in jail.