The multi-crore fodder scam convict Lalu Prasad Yadav’s eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav has taken to social media today, to write a cryptic Tweet on ‘thieves’ who looted Bihar.
Giving his two cents on the basic characteristics of ‘thieves’, the Bihar’s former cabinet minister for health, Tweeted in Hindi: “चोरों का भी एक अपना लोकतंत्र होता है। चोर कभी एक-दूसरे की चुगली नहीं करते। उदाहरणार्थ के लिए बिहार के प्रख्यात जनादेश लूटेरों को ही ले लीजिए!!”, roughly translated as “Thieves also have their own democracy. Thieves never cheat each other. Take, for example, Bihar’s famous mandate looters”.
This cryptic Tweet by Tej Pratap, got the ball rolling for the Netizens, who asked whether the Tweet was directed towards his father, who has been serving a jail sentence after he was convicted in four fodder scam cases.
Aap apne pita ki baat kr rahe ho shyd
— Ocean Jain (@OceanJain4) August 24, 2020
😂😂
हाँ… वो लालू प्रसाद यादव है.. कुख्यात चारा चोर…
— अंकिता सिंह (@indiaAnkita) August 24, 2020
A Twitter user wondered whether the son has taken upon himself to narrate his father’s story.
बाप की कहानी बेटे की जुबानी🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— मुन्ना बिहारी (आज़ाद)💪TVM 💪 (@terabaapaya45) August 24, 2020
Many Twitter users started dedicating memes to Tej Pratap Yadav and his father Lalu Prasad Yadav convicted in a corruption scandal that involved the embezzlement of about Rs 900 crores from the government treasury of the state of Bihar.
— उदय प्रताप (@UdayPratap1) August 24, 2020
— राजेश (@NortelRajesh) August 24, 2020
— Piyush Prashant (@PPiyushprashant) August 24, 2020
— PrIyAnShU sInGh RaJpUt (@it_LEGEND) August 24, 2020
The multi-crore Fodder scam
RJD President and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has been convicted in four fodder scam cases and was awarded up to 14 years of imprisonment. Two decades have passed since the multi-crore fodder scam was unearthed. It involved many politicians and bureaucrats siphoning off several crores of rupees, on the pretext of purchasing fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment for ‘vast herds of fictitious livestock’ over a period of 20 years.
The scam was unearthed by then finance commissioner VS Dubey who stumbled upon financial irregularities of massive proportions while reviewing the performance of various departments of the Bihar government. He found out that money was withdrawn in excess of the allocation by some of the departments and the animal husbandry department topped the list of withdrawals.
Lalu Prasad Yadav, father of Tej Pratap Yadav and ex-Bihar CM convicted in four fodder scam cases
A special CBI court in 2013 had convicted Lalu Prasad Yadav in the first fodder scam case involving the withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crores from the Chaibasa treasury. Lalu was pronounced guilty in another fodder scam case involving the Deoghar treasury of Rs 89 lakhs in December 2017. After this, both Lalu and Jagannath Mishra were found guilty of the third fodder scam involving the Chaibasa district treasury of Rs 33.67 crores. Lalu Prasad was sentenced to five years of jail term and a fine of Rs 10 lakhs. In March 2018, a special CBI court in Ranchi pronounced RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav guilty in the fourth fodder scam.
Imprisoned in Jharkhand, the former CM of Bihar has spent a large part of his sentence undergoing treatment at the RIMS.
