Opposition BJP today attacked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the closure of a case against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and said by doing so it has played "the fool" with a constitutional body like Election Commission.
"The case relating to violation of poll code is registered on the directions of Election Commission. By taking back a case of poll code violation, the state government has played the fool with the EC," senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav said in a statement.
"Such a step is dangerous for democracy," Yadav, who is leader of opposition in the state Assembly and chairman of public accounts committee, said.
Slamming Kumar for withdrawing the case against RJD chief, he said, "The Chief Minister is clearly seen being under pressure. The way he is taking back cases against Lalu Prasad, his 'bechargi' (helplessness) is apparent."
"If the state government's intention had been honest, it would have withdrawn all such cases of model code of violation where violence did not take place," Yadav, sixth term MLA from Patna Saheb, said.
The step taken by the state government was not good for democracy, he said. "If such a practice is accepted in times to come, the fear of registration of case for violation of poll code will end."
A district court had yesterday closed a case against Lalu relating to an FIR registered against him during last Lok Sabha elections, on the plea of the state government.
It came days after the government sought closure of another case against Lalu and his two sons in connection with a party-sponsored bandh on July 27 last year.
Prasad is chief of RJD, the biggest constituent of secular alliance government in the state with 80 MLAs.
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Hitting out at the Chief Minister, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, "If Nitish Kumar had his way, he would have cleared Lalu Prasad in different cases under multi-crore fodder scam too."
"Nitish Kumar should answer if the state government had taken permission from Election Commission before withdrawing a case of poll code violation against Lalu Prasad," Sushil Modi, who is leader of opposition in legislative council, said in a statement.
Sushil said the election slogan 'Bihar me bahar ho, Nitish Kumar ho' is working for Lalu Prasad. While bahar (well being) did not come for the people, it came for Lalu Prasad and MLAs of JD(U)-RJD."
"By withdrawing another case against Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar has made it clear that he can go to any extend to save his chair. After this incident, can any official dare to book any politician for violation of election code?" he asked.
Senior JD(U) leader and former minister Shyam Rajak defended the decision saying political cases had been withdrawn in the past too.
Citing examples, he said several political cases during the 1974 J P movement were taken back.
