"Looting govt treasury...": RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accuses Bihar govt of financial irregularities

Patna (Bihar) [India], April 19 (ANI): RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday lashed out at Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, accusing the JD(U) of misusing government funds and carrying out large-scale financial irregularities to fund their campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference at the RJD headquarters in Patna, Tejashwi Yadav said, "Those in power understand that they won't return to office. That's why they are looting the government treasury."
He alleged that ministers were taking commissions of up to 30 per cent on government projects and that tenders were being fast-tracked to meet campaign expenses.
"Tenders are being rushed through, and local contractors are being ignored in favour of outsiders -- all to secure hefty commissions," he claimed.
Calling it a "loot of the treasury," Tejashwi said the ruling alliance was compromising Bihar's development for political gain. He added that the people of Bihar would give a fitting response to such misuse of public money in the upcoming polls.
Tejashwi further alleged that government money was being "siphoned off" through schemes like 'Mahila Samvad', which he claimed was being used for political propaganda.
Earlier, on Thursday, after the first meeting of the Bihar Mahagathbandhan, Tejashwi had criticised the state government for its handling of key issues such as poverty, unemployment, and migration. He claimed that the real "double engine" in Bihar was "crime and corruption."
"The first meeting of Mahagathbandhan was held today regarding the situation in Bihar. We discussed matters related to poverty, unemployment, and migration. There is a lot of anger among the people of Bihar against the government, which has been in power for the last 20 years," Tejashwi said while speaking to the media.
"Bihar is number one in crime, unemployment and migration of labour. There is no law and order in the state. PM Modi and the Home Minister keep coming to Bihar, and they should answer what is happening in Bihar....The real double engine in Bihar is - crime and corruption," he added.
Leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation and other opposition parties also participated in the meeting held at the RJD office in Patna. The meeting focused on seat-sharing discussions and the drafting of a Common Minimum Programme for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
A high-stakes political contest is expected in Bihar, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)--comprising the Janata Dal (United), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the Bharatiya Janata Party--set to face off against the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Left parties.
The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to be held later this year. (ANI)