Patna, July 3: Voices of discord can also be heard amid the newfound bonhomie between the JDU and RJD.
One such voice came to the fore on Friday when RJD national general secretary Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha asked the JDU leadership for disciplinary action against leaders with criminal antecedents.
Though Bhagwan avoided taking names during the course of the press conference, he accepted that by raising such a demand, the RJD stood for action against JDU leaders like Anant Singh and Sunil Pandey.
Anant is already in jail and his problems are increasing with every passing day. On Friday, Patna police arrested assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Vipin Singh in connection with the Barh kidnapping and murder case in which Anant's name has already figured.
The ASI used to work as the bodyguard of the jailed JDU MLA from Mokama.
While the police tighten their noose around Anant, Bhagwan said action against Anant was possible because of the pressure created by RJD president Lalu Prasad. "We, in fact, have urged the JDU leadership to take action against all such elements in the party so that rule of law can be established in Bihar," he said.
But he quickly retracted from the offensive mode, saying the RJD was standing strongly with chief minister Nitish Kumar and would urge him to take stern action against anybody who was on the wrong side of the law, irrespective of their party affiliations.
Recently, when Lalu tried to give the impression he had pressured Nitish to arrest Anant, the chief minister had reacted saying he had never worked under any kind of pressure.
While the RJD is blowing hot and cold, its expelled leader and Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav is busy training his guns against both Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar.
The strongman from Kosi region today announced he would stage a protest march in Barh on July 9, against injustice being perpetrated in Bihar against Muslims and other backward castes by the Nitish government, which has Lalu's support.
Pappu, who has floated a political outfit, the Janadhikar Party, also announced he would organise similar protest programmes across the state in July and August.
Continuing his tirade against Lalu, Pappu said the same Lalu did nothing when Anant had threatened to attack then chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, but is now trying to project himself as one who is against such elements. "This is nothing but drama. He cannot think beyond the interest of his family members," the Madhepura MP said.
Just yesterday, Anant had attacked Laluand his sons, but resisted from saying anything against Nitish and the party leadership.
He had called Lalu a " pareshan aur bechain (troubled)" man. He also said: "Lalu's two sons do not have brains. Pappu Yadav, who was with him earlier, has parted ways and will now cut into his votes. All this has left Lalu with difficulties aplenty," the MLA had said while being taken back from Patna civil court to Beur Central Jail. The JDU has cornered Anant since his June 24 arrest from Patna.
