Himalayan News Service

Patna, April 9:

A Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader in Bihar has filed a defamation case against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad for allegedly calling the LJP a party of “loafers and rapists”.

Jehanabad district LJP president Gopal Sharma has filed a criminal defamation case in the Jehanabad court for the reported remarks. Sharma also named RJD’s spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari and RJD MP from Patna, Ramkirpal Yadav, in the case. Sharma said he had filed the case on the basis of reports in local Hindi newspapers of Lalu Prasad’s public

address in Bhojpur district day before yesterdayday. The court will hear the case on Monday. LJP spokesperson Sanjay Singh told this daily: “Lalu is frustrated after the RJD was ousted from power in Bihar and is making irresponsible statements against the LJP.”

He said the railway minister should first look at his own party before commenting on the LJP. “The RJD is a party which has sheltered all kinds of criminals,” he said. It is not the first time that Lalu Prasad and the LJP are attacking each other. During the February state assembly polls, Lalu had reportedly called the LJP a party of kidnappers and criminals. The LJP, in its turn, had described the RJD and Lalu Prasad as “protector of criminals” and looters.