Date:24/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/24/stories/2008082460170900.htm

National

Drop Lalu, say BJP, JD (U)

NEW DELHI: A delegation of four leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) met the Prime Minister on Saturday to demand that Railways Minister Lalu Prasad should be dropped from the Cabinet and steps should be taken to start an enquiry into allegations of gifts received by him in lieu of jobs given in the Railways.

JD (U) president Sharad Yadav, BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, JD (U) general secretary Shivanand Tiwari and its Bihar State president Rajiv Ranjan Singh met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and submitted a memorandum listing charges against Mr. Prasad and 100 pages of “documents” they claimed established facts related to land being donated to Mr. Prasad and his family members by some of those who had been given jobs in the Railways.

The two parties have been carrying on a campaign against Mr. Prasad following a “sting” operation by a television news channel on the issue of some land transfers to his family members.