Patna: The BJP and Janata Dal (United) have come together on the issue of properties allegedly acquired illegally by RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members. Leaders from both parties say these assets should be taken over by central agencies and used for the benefit of society instead of remaining locked or unused. The proposal focuses on converting such properties into schools, orphanages and hostels so that poor and needy children can get better access to education and shelter.
On Friday, Bihar’s deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary spoke about the issue while talking to a private television channel. He said that if schools were opened in buildings linked to Lalu Prasad, children from economically weak families would benefit the most. According to him, many such properties exist in Patna and other areas, but they have remained unused for years, even as the state continues to struggle with shortages of educational infrastructure.
The next day, JDU chief spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar publicly supported the idea. He said that central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation should seize properties that were acquired illegally. These buildings, he said, could be converted into schools, orphanages or student hostels for children from different social backgrounds. Kumar also alleged that Lalu Prasad had acquired large amounts of land by misusing his political power and providing government benefits in return.
The leaders also referred to the ongoing “land for jobs” case, which is still being heard in court. In this case, Lalu Prasad and his family members are accused of taking land in exchange for jobs during his tenure as railway minister. BJP leaders claimed that some attached properties have no clear claimants and have remained locked for nearly 20 years, including a building near the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park in Patna. With central agencies already having attached several properties in earlier cases, the issue is likely to remain politically sensitive and widely debated in Bihar.
