The opposition may seem united on most matters but on the issue of 'misuse' of Central Bureau of Investigation by the ruling party, Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad is seeking to play a different tune.
"The noise about CBI's misuse is being made so that the investigations do not reach to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Let there be a full scale debate on the issue and it will be clear how the CBI was used or misused by successive governments at the Centre," Lalu Prasad said.
The RJD chief, who faced CBI investigations in the multi-crore fodder scam and the related cases, investigations into which were sped up during National Democratic Alliance's rule at the Centre, said, "Let the issue be discussed in the House. I will speak out."
With the BJP attacking the Centre over the arrest of former Gujarat Minister Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin case, Prasad also dared Congress to "show courage" and "take action" against Narendra Modi.
"Modi was chief minister as well the cabinet minister for home in the state when all these incidents took place. It remains to be seen whether investigations trap only the chick or net the broiler as well," Prasad said, wondering "why there is so much delay in taking action against Modi?"
"The real question is whether the government will be able to deliver justice or not," he said. Prasad said the next important issue in Parliament should be the 'misuse' of CBI after the Speaker today ruled out the Adjournment Motion on the issue of price rise.
Earlier today in the Lok Sabha, Prasad made a veiled attack on BJP President Nitin Gadkari for targeting him and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav over the issue of CBI probe against them.
"A leader of a political party holding the top post had made derogatory remarks against me and Mulayam Singh. He, however, apologised later," Prasad said in the House while demanding that the Adjournment Motion on price rise be admitted by Speaker Meira Kumar.
"Kis CBI se hamko dar hai (which CBI are we afraid of)? .... Such statements are not only demeaning but are aimed to demoralise," the RJD leader said.
Prasad said he had won a CBI case in the Supreme Court and another was pending in Ranchi, while Mulayam was also fighting the cases against him.
In a public rally in Chandigarh earlier this month, Gadkari had said Mulayam and Prasad had "betrayed" the opposition on the cut-motions on the budget in Parliament as they had CBI cases against them.
