New twists before polls suspicious: AAP after charges framed against Lalu Yadav

The AAP on Monday questioned the framing of charges against RJD leader Lalu Yadav and his family in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam, asserting that new twists were emerging before the Bihar Assembly polls.

"Several institutions, including the ED, CBI and the court, are involved in this. Despite that, new stages like this arise in these matters whenever there are elections, which raises suspicion. The BJP openly accepted bribes through electoral bonds. Why are no actions being taken on it? This is our demand," AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj told news agency ANI.

Earlier today, a Delhi court framed corruption, cheating, and conspiracy charges against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi Yadav, after the CBI accused the family of manipulating IRCTC tenders and illegal land transfers. In the order, which came just weeks ahead of next month's Bihar elections, the court noted that Lalu Yadav had "engaged in conspiracy" and "abused his position" as a public servant.

Reacting to the matter, AAP leader Gopal Rai said, "There are two aspects to this: one is the political aspect, and the other is the judicial aspect. The court will work in its own way as per the rules, and the public will answer for the way the BJP government is continuously carrying out the events."

The Delhi court ordered that Lalu Yadav will face charges of criminal misconduct as a public servant, along with criminal conspiracy to commit cheating, while Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav are set to be charged with cheating and conspiracy to cheat.

WHAT IS THE IRCTC CASE?

The CBI has alleged that during Lalu Yadav's tenure as Union Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were leased to Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process.

In return, land worth crores was transferred to a company allegedly linked to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav at a fraction of its market value, causing significant loss to the state exchequer.

Notably, the court order came just ahead of next month's Bihar Assembly polls, setting the stage for a more tense showdown between the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and the Nitish Kumar-BJP alliance.

Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results to be announced on November 14.

- Ends