Patna, Feb 11 (IANS) Mahagathbandhan MLAs were seen enjoying a leisure time at the residence of former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav’s residence in Patna while playing songs on musical instruments to entertain themselves, ahead of the floor test in Bihar.

In one such video -- which has gone viral on social media -- RJD and left MLAs are seen singing a song on Guitar.

RJD MLA and MP Mahboob Ali Kaiser’s son Yousuf Salauddin can be seen sitting alongside Tejashwi Yadav and playing guitar. He is seen singing the song ‘Na chedo hamein, Ham sataye hue hain; Boht zakham seenay pe, Khae huae hain,’ in an apparent message to the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who recently again ditched RJD and formed the government with BJP.

The MLAs of RJD and left parties leaders have been staying at the Tejashwi Yadav residence located at 5 Desh Ratna Marg in Patna since Saturday evening. RJD has made special cuisines for the MLAs at the former Deputy Chief Minister’s residence.

The MLAs are likely to stay at Tejashwi’s residence till Monday morning and from there will go directly to Bihar assembly for the floor test.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said that Tejashwi Yadav is frightened because of the floor test and has no faith in his own MLAs.

“He thinks that his MLAs will leave him and that is why he has put them under house detention at his own residence. Tejashwi believes in dynastic politics and has a mindset to treat his own MLAs like bound labourers. He should respect his MLAs like BJP does,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

BJP has taken all of its 78 MLAs to Bodh Gaya for two days workshop while JD-U is making all efforts to keep its all 45 MLAs intact before the crucial floor test on February 12.

New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its order on quashing criminal defamation proceedings pending against former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for his "only Gujaratis can be thugs" remark.

A bench presided over by Justice Abhay S Oka took note of the submission advanced by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the RJD leader, that a "specific" affidavit has been filed by Yadav unconditionally withdrawing his remarks.

“Your lordships may quash the proceedings in the peculiar facts and circumstances without there being any consent between parties,” submitted the counsel appearing for complainant Haresh Mehta.

“Submissions are heard. Order is reserved. We will pass a detailed order,” said the bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.

In an earlier hearing, the top court had indicated that it will quash the criminal defamation suit pending against Yadav before a magistrate's court in Ahmedabad in exercise of extraordinary powers conferred under Article 142 of the Constitution.

It had observed that Yadav’s prosecution was no longer necessary since he had filed an affidavit stating that his remark was not intended to offend Gujarati people or any community of a particular state.

In November 2023, the Supreme Court had stayed the trial proceedings after Tejashwi Yadav sought a transfer of criminal defamation case from Gujarat to Bihar.

The complaint goes back to Tejashwi Yadav's alleged remarks made in March last year in Patna. It has been alleged that Yadav said that "in today's time, only Gujaratis can be thugs and they will also be forgiven for the same".

The purported remarks were made by him in reference to the revocation of the red corner notice for fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, and purportedly aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In his complaint, Mehta, a social worker and Vice President of an organisation called the All-India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council, alleged that the remarks defame and humiliate Gujaratis in public.

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday stayed trial in the criminal defamation case against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in Ahmedabad over his alleged "only Gujaratis can be thugs" remark.

The Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal passed the order and issued notice to the complainant seeking a response on the transfer petition moved by Yadav.

Yadav approached the top court seeking a transfer of the trial of criminal defamation case from Gujarat to Bihar. The criminal defamation suit was filed before a Magistrate court in Ahmedabad.

Haresh Mehta, a social worker and vice president of an organisation called the All-India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council filed the complaint against Yadav.

The complaint goes back to Yadav's alleged remarks made in March in Patna. It has been alleged that Yadav said that “in today's time, only Gujaratis can be thugs and they will also be forgiven for the same.”

The complainant has alleged that the remarks defame and humiliate Gujaratis in public.

Ahmedabad : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has been summoned to appear in a metropolitan court in Ahmedabad on November 4 in a defamation case filed against him by a Gujarat resident.

The summons was issued on Friday, but Yadav's lawyer Somnath Vats demanded exemption from his appearance, citing his busy schedule. The court accepted the request and asked Yadav to appear on November 4 to record his statement.

The case was filed by Ahmedabad resident Haresh Mehta over a statement that Yadav made on a private television channel on March 22, in which he allegedly referred to two Gujarati men as "thugs". Mehta alleged that Yadav's statement had hurt the sentiments of the Gujarati people.

During the hearing on Friday, the court submitted the original video of the media byte given by Yadav and recorded the statements of 15 witnesses from across Gujarat. The witnesses said that Yadav's statement had tarnished the image of the Gujarati people across the world and was likely to create animosity among the people of different states.

After the completion of the court investigation, summons were issued against Yadav. The summons was served at his home in Bihar.

New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) Amid talks of opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress, JD(U) and RJD leaders met here on Wednesday.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.

The meeting took place at Kharge's residence.

After the meeting, the four addressed the media jointly.

Kharge said that they will reach out to like-minded parties. "We have decided to unite all opposition parties and fight the election unitedlly."

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "We will reach out to as many political parties and move forward together."

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, "This is a battle of ideologies and it is a historic step towards the 2024 fight."

The meeting comes after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took the first step to unite the opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Kharge has made phone calls to leaders of various like-minded opposition parties, including M.K. Stalin, Nitish Kumar and Uddhav Thackeray.

Kharge has invited these leaders for an opposition meet in Delhi next month to formalise a common agenda.

Sources said that the leaders interacted on the opposition unity and future strategy to challenge the BJP in the country.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, on several occasions has been saying that he is waiting for the Congress to take the initiative of getting the opposition together.

New Delhi: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has sought more time from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to join the probe in connection with the land-for-job scam, citing his wife's health issues.

The CBI had summoned him to join the probe on Saturday to record his statement in the case.

Earlier, the RJD leader was summoned to join the probe on March 4 which he missed. Now, the probe agency will send him a third summons in the coming days.

The CBI had recently grilled former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in the matter.

In its case, the CBI has alleged that the accused, in conspiracy with the then GM and CPO of the Central Railways, engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of close relatives of the Lalu family.

It had registered a case against Lalu Prasad, the then union Railway Minister, his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters and 15 others, including unknown public servants and private persons.

"During 2004-2009, Yadav had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members in lieu of appointment of substitutes in Group 'D' posts in different Zones of Railways," the official said.

A number of residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold and gifted their land in favour of the family members of Yadav and a private company controlled by Yadav and his family.

"No advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointment of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as Substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur.

"In continuation of this modus operandi, about 1,05,292 sq. feet land, immovable properties situated at Patna were acquired by Yadav and his family members through five sales deeds and two gift deeds, showing the payment made to seller in cash in most of the land transfer," the CBI had said.