Conviction was 'conspiracy by the elite': Lalu Prasad Yadav

Hussainabad (Jharkhand), Apr 3: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Thursday claimed that his conviction in a fodder scam case was a "conspiracy by the elite", a day after BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi taunted Rahul Gandhi of aligning with a scam tainted convict.

"The fodder scam was a conspiracy hatched by the elite against me as my party works for the poor to ensure social justice," Prasad told an election meeting here in the Palamau Lok Sabha constituency.

"But I am not afraid. I have full faith in the judiciary and will come out unscathed," Prasad, who is on bail in the case, said.

Speaking about the BJP, he said "The BJP's illusion over Modi will go away soon. The world knows how I stopped its leader L K Advani at Samastipur when he was out on a rath to spread communal disharmony."

The former Bihar chief minister was apparently taking a swipe at BJP's claim of getting 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

Attacking his rival Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Prasad alleged, "Nitish Kumar aligned with the BJP and also ditched it. Ditching is in his nature."

Criticising LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan for aligning with the BJP, Prasad said, "He came crying to me and I sent him to the Rajya Sabha.

And, now he has joined hands with the NDA. See, his double standards."

Accusing Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav of doublespeak and BSP supremo of aligning with the BJP in the past and that she would "repeat it", he praised Congress President Sonia Gandhi as a great leader. "RJD will always stand by her."

PTI