FIRs against Lalu, Sushil Modi for violating model code

PATNA/SASARAM: Separate FIRs have been lodged against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi (SuMo) on the orders of Election Commission for their election speeches. While Lalu is charged with making casteist speech, SuMo is accused of violating the model code of conduct by offering sops to voters.
The FIR against Lalu Prasad with the Ganga Bridge police station in Vaishali district on Tuesday relates to his alleged speech provoking voters on caste lines.Lalu delivered the speech at village Terasiya in Raghopur assembly constituency in Vaishali district on the first day of his campaign for his son Tejaswi Yadav on Sunday. The Election Commission ordered lodging of FIR against Lalu after screening his speech. Additional CEO R Lakshmanan said, “The FIR against Prasad was lodged by a magistrate of the monitoring cell of the model code of conduct in Vaishali district.”
“Prasad, in his speech, told the crowd that the Bihar assembly election was the war of Mahabharata between the backward and forward castes. He asked Yadavs to ‘stay awake and remain united’, especially against Brahmins. The ECI lodged the FIR for the two statements,” added the additional CEO. The FIR has been lodged under Section 188 of IPC and relevant provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, Vaishali SP Rakesh Kumar said.According to a report from Sasaram, police registered an FIR with Bhabua police station in Kaimur district against former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi after he was accused of violating the model code of conduct by promising sops to voters.
Addressing an election meeting at Bhabua in Kaimur district on Monday, SuMo allegedly claimed that if NDA came to power in the state it would give Rs 50,000 in cash to meritorious students, colour TVs to dalits and ‘dhoti-sari’ to poor people.
Police said the FIR was lodged against SuMo after scrutiny of his speech by members of video surveillance team. “His announcements amounted to violation of model code of conduct,” a police official added.
However, SuMo on Tuesday said in Patna even if 1,000 FIRs were lodged against him, he would not be cowed down. He alleged vested interests were behind the FIR lodged against him. He added, “Every politician has the right to tell people what he will do for them if voted to power.”
SuMo pointed out even CM Nitish Kumar was making announcements like 35% reservation to women in government jobs and student credit cards at his election meetings. “Why has no FIR been lodged against him till now?” the former deputy CM questioned.