RJD MLA seeks withdrawal of general consent to CBI in Bihar

RJD MLA Bhai Virendra on Monday demanded that the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar withdraw general consent to CBI, taking a cue from states like West Bengal, in view of “flagrant misuse of central agencies”.

The RJD leader raised the issue on the floor of the assembly, close on the heels of CBI and ED crackdown on party supremo Lalu Prasad, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and former chief minister Rabri Devi.

Rising in his seat during Question Hour, the MLA said to the Chair "the government at the Centre is indulging in flagrant misuse of central agencies like the CBI and the ED. In this regard, I wish to make a request to the honourable Chief Minister who is present in the House".

"States like West Bengal have brought in laws which prevent the CBI from conducting any probe without obtaining sanction from the state government. Bihar should do the same", he added. Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, however, asked the MLA to take his seat and allow the proceedings to continue.

Bhai Virendra is also the RJD's chief spokesman. His outbursts were reflective of the outrage felt by the party rank and file over the events of last week. Exactly a week ago, a CBI team grilled Rabri Devi at her residence here and a day later questioned Lalu Prasad, recovering from a kidney transplant, in Delhi for several hours in connection with land for jobs scam pertaining to his tenure as the Railway Minister in the UPA-1 government.

Two days later, the ED raided the house of Prasad, where Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD supremo's younger son, was also present. Several other premises of Prasad's daughters and close aides were also raided in different parts of the country and the agency claimed to have seized proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 600 crore. The claim has been dismissed as a “rumour” by Tejashwi Yadav.