Accusing the Central Bureau of Investigation of “selectively” investigating the fodder scam, Dipankar Bhattacharya, general secretary CPI (ML- Liberation), asked why the Central agency was silent on the alleged link of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other leaders, whose names, too, had cropped up in the case.
“During the investigation of the fodder scam, the names of Mr. Kumar, [JD (U) leaders] Shivanand Tiwari and Lalan Singh and [BJP leader] Dhruv Bhagat had cropped up. But the CBI has let them off in a mysterious way. Why has the agency followed this pick-and-choose policy? It will have to explain why it spared these leaders, who all are mentioned as recipients of fodder scam cash in the testimonies of senior officials of the Animal Husbandry Department,” Mr. Bhattacharya said at a press conference here on Tuesday.
He pointed out that when the probe was under way, the National Democratic Alliance was in power at the Centre and Mr. Kumar was an ally of the NDA.
“Were the names of leaders excluded because during the crucial early years of the CBI probe the NDA was in power with L.K. Advani as the Union Home Minister and all these leaders were in the same coalition? And incidentally, by the time we got the current verdict, Nitish Kumar has switched over from his protracted alliance with the BJP to growing political bonhomie with the Congress,” the CPI (ML) leader said.
“BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad is saying today that the documents, on the basis of which Lalu Prasad was arrested, also name Mr. Kumar. This means the BJP had proof of Mr. Kumar’s indictment, but their ties continued,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.
He called for an investigation into the roles of leaders whose names had come to light during the probe.
Mr. Bhattacharya took objection to the remark of former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi that after the fodder scam, top-level corruption ended in Bihar.
“There is corruption even in this regime. You have the MGNREGA scam, the AC/DC bill scam, where it is difficult to even estimate the extent of corruption and irregularities in land allocation by the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority,” he said.
He blamed the Congress-led government at the Centre for showing inaction in dealing strictly with communal forces and thereby strengthening them.
Left unity
Asked about the Left’s unity in Bihar, Mr. Bhattacharya said the CPI(ML) would have “no truck” with the other Left parties if they tied up with the ruling JD(U).
“The Left unity in the State is not just based on national and international issues which impact us, but also on the reality of Bihar. Going by the acts of omission and commission of the JD(U) government, we will have no truck with them if they join hands with it,” he said.
