PATNA -- BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday demanded sacking of Bihar Environment and Forest Minister Tej Pratap Yadav alleging his involvement in "soil purchase scam", a charge refuted by the latter who threatened to move court against the former deputy chief minister.
"Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should order a high level probe into the 'soil purchase scam' in which Environment and Forest minister Tej Pratap Yadav is involved. CM should sack Yadav from his cabinet without making any delay," Modi told reporters on the sidelines of 'Janata Darbar' at his official residence.
He charged the RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's minister son Tej with giving contract of тВ╣90 lakh for land-filling work in Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park located in the state capital.
Yadav's department, under whose jurisdiction the park falls, gave contract of тВ╣90 lakh to a company without following the tender process for construction of a pathway and beautification work, Modi alleged.
"The entire episode smacks of misappropriation of public money ... Politicians too have started reaping benefits by forming 'shell' companies in Bihar also," he claimed.
Modi also alleged Tej of buying soil worth тВ╣44 lakh from a mall, which he owns with his siblings.
"There was complete nexus and at the behest of Tej Pratap Yadav, this soil was purchased," said Modi, according to NDTV.
However, the Zoo officials said that the soil purchased was not from the land where Tej's mall is being constructed.
The accusation drew sharp reaction from the minister and Prasad.
"I will file defamation case against Sushil Modi. He has hatched conspiracy to tarnish my and family image," Yadav said in a tweet.
Yadav, the elder son of Prasad, further wrote on the micro blogging site said his department was competent to answer the "concocted accusations."
"It is Sushil Modi's habit to level baseless allegations. But, now his politics of falsehood would not work," he wrote.
Prasad rallied behind his son as he rejected the charges and expressed readiness for any probe in this regard.
"The allegation is far from truth. Get it inquired by anybody," he told the media.
"If my family is deriving any money from any such thing in the Patna Botanical garden it must have been recorded somewhere by authority there...get it checked to ascertain the facts," he said.
The RJD chief said his family has been rather providing cow dung to the Patna zoo free for past 1.5 years for its use.
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