A day after a businessman lodged an extortion case against Bihar’s Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav, and one of his associates, the MP has claimed the allegations are part of a deep-rooted conspiracy against him. Yadav, citing his growing political influence, has called for a high-level investigation by the Supreme Court to uncover the truth.
Yadav took to social media to assert his innocence, writing, “Those who are upset about my increasing influence in state and country politics have hatched a conspiracy against me which I will expose. I demand a probe under the Supreme Court and the guilty should be hanged.”
Yadav has accused certain officers and his political adversaries of conspiring to tarnish his image. A close associate of Yadav questioned the timing of the extortion case, suggesting it was lodged immediately after Yadav had issued warnings to officials and doctors. “The extortion case was lodged soon after the MP had warned officials and doctors, and hence one can understand the motive behind it,” the associate stated.
After being elected to the Purnea seat, Yadav had publicly warned bureaucrats and doctors against exploiting the poor. At a felicitation meeting in Purnea, he condemned corruption in government offices and cautioned officials to cease such activities or face consequences. He also criticized doctors for overcharging for diagnostic tests and medications and announced plans to conduct surprise inspections at hospitals and medical colleges to ensure proper treatment for the underprivileged.
On Monday, a businessman from Purnea filed an FIR at Muffasil police station against Yadav and his associate, Amit Yadav, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 385 (putting a person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). The case is currently under investigation, as confirmed by a press release from the SP on Monday evening.
Yadav, who contested the Purnea seat as an independent candidate after being denied a ticket by the INDIA bloc, managed to defeat both JD-U and RJD candidates.
In the wake of the extortion allegations, Yadav, currently in Delhi, met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi on Monday to discuss post-election politics in Bihar. “We had a very good discussion on the present politics in the state and the country,” Yadav shared in a social media post. He added, “We have taken a resolve –Ees baar 100 paar, agli baar bahumat paar– to make a stronger INDIA alliance government.”
Yadav also urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to seek a special package for the state from the newly formed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.