RJD threatens to sue JD(U) leaders

Patna, Aug 14 (UNI) The RJD, annoyed at the JD(U)'s allegations of the ''land grab slur'' against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, has threatened to file a defamation suit against the JD(U)'s Bihar unit president.

Taking a serious note on the ''mud-slinging'' for the past few days, the RJD lashed at the JD(U) leaders, especially its state unit president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh for levelling ''fabricated'' charges against Mr Prasad.

RJD chief of Bihar unit Mr Abdul Bari Siddiqui said here today that the party would not tolerate such activities adding it was exploring legal options to file a suit against the JD(U) leaders involved in making such ''baseless allegations''.

Mr Siddiqui said a legal notice would soon be served upon JD(U) state president Mr Singh for proving the charges of ''land for railway job'' on Mr Prasad, also the RJD supremo.

''In case Mr Singh failed to prove his allegations, the RJD would file a defamation suit against him,'' Mr Siddiqui said.

He also termed the entire allegations as ''a concocted story of JD(U)'', stating that the Railway Minister had no power to provide job to any person.

Mr Siddiqui said, '' Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his party leaders are misusing the state resources for political purposes as the 500 page doccuments with the baseless allegations against Mr Prasad were distributed on PRD fly leaf.'' Reacting to the allegations made by the JD(U) against Mr Prasad for collecting assets worth Rs 100 crore, Mr Siddiqui, flanked by the RJD leaders Ramkripal Yadav and Shakeel Ahmad Khan said the Railway Minister had already declared his assets to the PMO as well as the Income Tax department.

''The land possessed by him and his family members were just to the tune of Rs 13.89 lakh, not Rs 100 crore,'' he said.

The RJD leaders said that they would not sit idle and would drag the JD(U) leaders to the court for their ''baseless comments and allegations'' against Mr Prasad.

UNI RS SB KLC1315