Lalu Demands Apology from CPI Leader

New Delhi: July 19, 2008

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday lashed out at the Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A. B. Bardhan for accusing the UPA leaders of indulging in 'shameless horse-trading' in an attempt to win the trust vote scheduled for July 22 in New Delhi.

"Bardhan, by making unfounded allegations, has damaged the reputation of all parties and he must apologize to the UPA constituents for fabricating lies for sheer political expediency," Yadav said at a press conference in New Delhi.

"The CPI leader should either provide evidence of his charges or offer an unconditional apology to all parties," the RJD leader said.

As reported in many national media, Bardhan had earlier commented that the UPA was buying MPs for a price of Rs. 25 crore each.

Interestingly, it was Yadav and his men who were making similar allegations without providing any proof against Janata Dal (U) and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders during the last Bihar Assembly elections in 2005.

The Railway Minister expressed his confidence in the trust motion insisting there was no threat on the UPA government and the trust motion was merely a formality that would once again establish the strength of the Manmohan Singh administration.