By The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at the Delhi residence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday in connection with the “land for jobs” case. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the allotment of land in Bihar’s Patna district to the RJD during the tenure of Tejashwi Yadav’s father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was then the Chief Minister of Bihar.
Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, was not present at his Delhi residence at the time of the raid. The ED officials reportedly seized several documents and electronic devices during the raid.
The case, which dates back to 2004, was reopened by the Bihar government in 2017 after it came to power. The state government had alleged that the RJD, then in power, had fraudulently acquired the land in exchange for jobs in the animal husbandry department.
Tejashwi Yadav, who was the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar at the time, has denied any wrongdoing and accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of targeting him and his family for political reasons.
The RJD has also alleged that the ED raid is a part of a larger conspiracy to discredit the party ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The party has accused the NDA government of using central agencies such as the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to target opposition leaders.
The raid at Tejashwi Yadav’s residence comes just days after the ED conducted a similar raid at the premises of RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Tej Pratap Yadav, in Patna.
In conclusion, the ED raid at Tejashwi Yadav’s Delhi residence in connection with the “land for jobs” case is the latest in a series of actions taken by the Bihar government against the RJD leaders. While the RJD has denied any wrongdoing and accused the government of political vendetta, the case has become a flashpoint in Bihar politics ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The ED raid is also likely to further intensify the political slugfest between the ruling NDA and the opposition parties in the state.
