RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Rabri Devi and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan were on Thursday summoned by a court in Muzaffarpur that is hearing a case charging the trio with the causing damages to public property during an RJD-LJP rally in January.
The summons issued by chief judicial magistrate Ramesh Malviya worked as an unnoticeable dampener to the RJD-LJP’s celebrations following the victories of Paswan and former RJD MP Ram Kripal Singh in the Rajya Sabha polls on Thursday. The court asked the three leaders to appear in person before it on July 24 along with the district unit chiefs of the RJD and the LJP.
The January 6 state-wide bandh enforced by the RJD-LJP to protest against price rise had seen widespread vandalism at public facilities. Muzaffarpur lawyer Sudhir Ojha, who was allegedly misbehaved by the bandh supporters that day, had lodged the case in the court. Muzaffarpur was one of the worst hit by the rowdy RJD-LJP supporters, said Mr Ojha.
Bandhs organised by the RJD and the LJP in Bihar are long known to be riotous in nature and throwing public life out of gear. This is the first time a case was filed against prominent politicians for damages during bandhs.