BJP leader Sushil Modi today alleged large-scale irregularities in raids carried out by the health department in 450 medical shops in Bihar earlier this year and claimed that it was meant to "extort" money which was "shared by all, including the political leadership".
"As many as 450 samples of drugs were collected during the raids, but much to our horror, only five samples were found to be substandard and 10 other misbranded," he claimed on sidelines of Janata Durbar at his official residence.
"The drug inspectors arbitrarily suspended licences of dozens of medical stores in order to fleece money from them which was distributed from the bottom to top involving drug inspectors to political leadership of the day," the BJP leader alleged.
It may be mentioned that the health department is headed by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav.
Modi also claimed that some health department officials and drug inspectors were part of the raids on medical stores and took penal action against some of these despite themselves being under scanner for irregularities.
Slamming the health department for defending the raids despite alleged irregularities in the exercise, he asked the authorities to put all actions taken against drug stores on its website for perusal by the public.
Modi, a former deputy chief minister, also said stringent action should be taken against the medical stores and its owners for misbranding, overpricing other irregularities.
