Bihar: No RJD Celebrations after Lalu Gets Bail in View of COVID-19

Patna: Soon after jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was granted bail in cases related to the fodder scam by the Jharkhand High Court in Ranchi on Saturday, his son Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in Bihar made it clear to party workers, supporters and followers that there should not be any celebrations in view of rising COVID-19 cases across the country.

Tejashwi had requested party workers and supporters to strictly keep away from organising any kind of celebrations ahead of the former CM's release. "It is my earnest request to all well-wishers, supporters and party workers to remain in their homes as per the COVID-19 protocol.There should not be any type of celebrations," he said.

He further appealed to them to not gather outside his official residence in Patna.

RJD leaders and workers are in a jubiliant mood after Prasad was granted bail.Going by past records ,this was the first time that party workers neither distributed sweets nor burst firecrackers here in view of Tejashwi's appeal.

RJD state president Jagdanand Singh said it was a matter of happiness for all but that "Laluji himself instructed party workers not to go in for any celebrations as the COVID-19 situation was scary in Bihar".

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has spread fast and wide and claimed more lives on a daily basis. According to the official website of the state Health Department, COVID-19 cases have been on a rise over the past two weeks. There were only 74 cases reported on March 30
in the state, a number that rose to 6,253 on April 16. There have been a total of 23,750 deaths due to COVID-19 in the state.

Tejashwi said a "wave of happiness" swept across Bihar after Lalu Pradad was granted bail and that people across the state and from outside were happy.

Later, addressing the media here ,Tejashwi said though his father was out on bail but he would not come to Patna and would continue to be under treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. "We are worried about his health," he said.

Political watchers here said that granting bail to Lalu would end up giving a boost to the opposition Mahagathbandhan and would will help Tejashwi to counter the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar in the state more aggressively.

Lalu was granted bail in connection with the fodder scam cases. Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh granted bail to the RJD leader during the hearing.

The former Bihar CM and union minister had been convicted in connection with withdrawing money to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore from the Dumka, Chaibasa and Deoghar treasuries. The special CBI court in Ranchi had granted him bail in two cases earlier.

The 72-year-old is recovering from multiple illnesses at AIIMS, battling a kidney infection and water accumulation in his lungs.