Patna: Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui on Monday repudiated the allegations that party supremo Lalu Prasad had made him transfer property worth crores of rupees in Rabri Devi's name "in return" for making him a minister.
Siddiqui also lashed out at Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who had reportedly levelled the allegations on Sunday, challenging him to "come up with proof or resign".
"Sushil Modi seems to be stricken by Lalu phobia. It appears he has based his entire politics around maligning the RJD supremo and his family.
"Moreover, he also seems to be drawing inspiration from Goebbels (Nazi propagandist). He keeps making false statements but never shows the consistency to stick to these", Siddiqui told reporters at the partys state headquarters.
"I challenge Sushil Modi to come up with documentary evidence showing that I have transferred any piece of land in the name of our leaders family members. If he does so, I will resign from all the posts that I am holding. If he fails to do so, then he must resign", the RJD MLA who was Finance minister in the previous "Mahagathbandhan" government, said. Siddiqui was reacting to media reports quoting the Deputy CM as having stated, in Darbhanga district, that Lalu Prasad was the "Robert Vadra of Bihar", in an obvious dig aimed at the charges of acquiring huge benami properties currently being faced by the RJD supremo as well as Congress president Sonia Gandhis son-in-law.
The RJD leader also said "in my view, Sushil Modi intends to divert public attention from the failures of BJP leaders and governments formed by the party in various states by these rhetorics".
Elaborating further, he alleged "there has been a collapse of law and order in Bihar ever since the BJP became a part of the ruling coalition. Similar is the case in other BJP-ruled states, though leaders of the party are too fond of calling the RJDs rule in Bihar as jungle raj".
"Besides, the way Srijan scam has surfaced, it hints towards the involvement of BJP leaders, even if indirectly. What do photographs of the NGOs late founder Manorama Devi alongside leaders like Union Minister Giriraj Singh, party MP and Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari signify", he asked.
Asked whether he was thinking about sending a legal notice to or even filing a defamation suit against the Bihar Deputy CM, the RJD leader initially tried to side-step the query saying "jiska maan ho usi ki maanhaani hoti hai" (only the one who has some honour, can be slapped with a defamation suit).
However, when pressed further, Siddiqui said "we have to watch how things unfold in future. If the need so arises, one may consider the option of a defamation suit".
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