Congress, BJP divided over RJD's assertion on Tejashwi Yadav

After the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on 10 July said that Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav would not resign, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looked divided over the assertion.

While the BJP said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should discontinue his party's alliance with the RJD, the Congress accused the BJP of destabilising the elected governments in states.

"The alliance in Bihar is 'maha corrupt alliance'. Nitish Kumar needs to look around him, in whose company he is running the government. Bihar is frustrated under the misgovernance of his alliance. It's time for him (Nitish) to really insist on the removal of tainted ministers from his government. Nitish will bear a stigma of running a corrupt coalition government if he continues with it," BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao told ANI.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shobha Oza said, "We have already seen earlier that how the BJP tried to destabilise the elected governments in Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh. The BJP government always tries to oppress the Opposition's voice by using the CBI. But the BJP will never be successful in its agenda because the Opposition is in unity."

Earlier in the day, it was announced by the RJD that no discussion has taken place regarding Tejashwi's resignation. In fact, his work was appreciated.

"Tejashwi Yadav has been a good leader and will always remain one," the party said.

Targetting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the RJD said, "There has been an attempt to fade us, but it will not happen. We will emerge like we have always in the past as well."

It also categorically said there were no differences between Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. The party said the former had called the latter yesterday and had asked about his well-being.

On Friday, the CBI had registered a corruption case against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejaswi Yadav, former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The CBI later questioned Rabri Devi and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav.

The case was registered on the allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of Hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a Private Company dealing with Hotels in the year 2006.The investigative agency also conducted searches at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurugram and other places.

The RJD supremo, however, refuted the allegations against him and called it a political conspiracy hatched by the BJP.

-ANI