Bihar Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders and legislators on Wednesday protested at the gate of the official residence of party leader Tejashwi Yadav at 5, Deshratna Marg, to prevent district authorities from getting it vacated.
Later, the Patna district authorities cancelled the move to get Mr. Yadav's bungalow vacated till further order after Mr. Yadav's lawyer met them and apprised them about a writ filed in Patna High Court. However, RJD leaders were still present at the gate.
Mr. Yadav, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, is currently in Delhi and is expected to reach Patna anytime on Wednesday, party leaders said.
Earlier, the State building construction department had asked district authorities to get the official bungalow of Mr. Yadav vacated as it has been designated for the State’s Deputy Chief Minister, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
Mr. Yadav was allotted that bungalow when he was Deputy Chief Minister in the previous Grand Alliance government.
But, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joined hands again with the BJP to form the NDA government in the State in July 2017, Mr. Yadav was asked to vacate the bungalow but he retained it in the capacity of Leader of Opposition.
Recently, the Patna High Court also directed the State building department to get the bungalow vacated.
But Mr. Yadav challenged the court’s order before a double bench of the Patna High Court to retain the bungalow.
“When the matter is still in court, how could the government vacate the official residence of our party leader who is also Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly,” asked RJD MLA Ejjya Yadav sitting in protest.
“It's all being done to divert attention of people from the embarrassment JD(U) leader and poll strategist Prashant Kishor had brought to the government while trying to influence the Patna University Student Union election recently,” alleged Bhai Birendra, another RJD MLA and party spokesperson.
Mr. Yadav’s elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav too slammed the Nitish Kumar government for “harassing” Lalu Prasad and his family through such cowardice and “cheap” moves. “But we’ll not be cowed down with such moves and people of the State would give Nitish Kumar a befitting reply,” he said.
Recently, Mr. Yadav had criticised the Chief Minister for installing a high resolution CCTV camera on the boundary wall of his residence for “snooping” on his bungalow.
Mr. Yadav’s bungalow is located just behind 1, Anne Marg, the official residence of Chief Minister Mr. Kumar.
Later, the CCTV camera was removed.
