Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday said the country was heading towards dictatorship and emergency. He also compared Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to Roman king Nero and slammed his government on the deteriorating law and order situation.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become wary that a conspiracy is being hatched to kill him. Five intellectuals and activists have been arrested on the charge of hatching a plot to kill him. He should let the country know what is the proof? Under PM Modi, the country is heading towards dictatorship. The process of declaring emergency in the country has begun,” Mr. Prasad told journalists at the Patna airport while leaving for Ranchi to surrender in court on Thursday.
Mr. Prasad has been on provisional bail on medical grounds since May. Recently, the Jharkhand High Court refused extension of his bail and asked him to surrender by August 30. Mr. Prasad is currently incarcerated in the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi in connection with three fodder scam cases.
Though the court had earlier granted provisional bail to him on the condition that he would not indulge in any political activity or issue any statement to the media, he spoke to journalists in Patna and Ranchi as well. “All the cases lodged against me, my family members are fake and concocted. Since elections are coming, they want to harass us and get us engaged in legal wrangles. But I’ve faith in the Jharkhand Court and judiciary, Justice will prevail at the end,” said Mr. Prasad.
Addressing media persons at the circuit house in Ranchi he added, “Lalu Prasad is not a person to be cowed down. I’m not like Nitish Kumar. I and my party will keep raising issues concerning the nation and people,” he asserted. When asked who would be the leader of Opposition in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Prasad said, “there is no scuffle on that question in the Opposition. Rahul Gandhi is there, Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee, anyone could be the leader. But the prime concern is to dethrone the BJP”.
