RJD Threatens To Sue Media Outlets That Claimed Tejashwi Owned Gurugram Mall

Manoj Jha said, "I warn these media outlets that they apologise admitting that it was a mistake on their part."

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Friday, 26 August, threatened to slap defamation notices on media outlets that ran stories claiming that a mall at Gurugram raided by the CBI two days ago belonged to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Tejashwi Yadav.

Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha alleged that officials of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and IT Department were visiting the BJP's headquarters in Delhi to receive instructions for indulging in political vendetta.

"I want to warn officials of these agencies, do your job impartially but do not act as per the diktats of your political masters who will not come to save you when there are repercussions," said Jha.

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He alleged that people from these agencies "go to the BJP office on Deendayal Upadhyay Marg where they are handed out pieces of paper inscribed with instructions as to which political adversary has to be fixed".

"We will tell the people that we are being targeted because we are raising their issues. It will lead to a backlash which will make it difficult for officials and their political masters to venture out of their homes," Jha said. When asked whether he was issuing a threat of physical violence, the RJD leader asserted," Not at all".

We are Gandhians. And our supporters will present those indulging in vendetta with flowers with the wish that they get well soon." Jha also fulminated against media outlets that "frantically ran baseless reports alleging that the mall belonged to Tejashwi, but have gone silent ever since we came out with evidence that, on the contrary, the real estate developer constructing the structure enjoys the patronage of BJP leaders in Haryana, including CM Manohar Lal Khattar."

"I hereby warn these media outlets that they broadcast an apology admitting that it was a mistake on their part. If these fail to do so in 48 hours, we will file a defamation suit," the RJD MP said.

Jha was also asked about the BJP's below-the-belt remark on Tejashwi Yadav whom it has called a "fake" Yadav, descending from a family of shepherds, in contrast with Union minister Nityanand Rai who was a "real" one since his ancestors reared cows.

He replied, "Rai does not milk cows nor does he take out cattle for grazing. He bears a Gujarati stamp and he milks the people after making them graze false promises."

Asked about former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi repeatedly questioning the new Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) government about Tejashwi Yadav's promise of 10 lakh jobs, the RJD leader said, "The BJP leader has been the first beneficiary of that announcement."

"Sushil Modi had been in a state of political unemployment. Now he seems to have found his way back into the BJP mainstream. He owes it to us," the RJD leader said sarcastically.