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Criminal at 14? I didn't even have mooch

Criminal at 14? I didn't even have mooch

PATNA: Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav attended a meeting of the Bihar cabinet today and later made it clear to reporters that he would not quit over charges of corruption from when he was "just a boy who hadn't even sprouted a moonchh".

Yesterday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dropped broad hints that he expects Tejashwi, his deputy, to quit over corruption charges. That is not happening, Tejashwi told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

"When we got power, when I became a minister, I did nothing wrong. When I was 13-14, would I have done anything wrong? I didn't have a post. I didn't even have a moonchh then. I was a child," Tejashwi told reporters.

He attended the meeting along with his older brother and cabinet colleague Tej Pratap.

This was 28-year-old Tejashwi's first meeting with Nitish Kumar since the Yadav family was raided last week by the CBI over charges that as Railways Minister, Lalu Yadav exploited his position to acquire three acres of land in Patna at cheaper rates. Tejashwi is also one of the owners of the land, where a mall is being built.

Mr Yadav has alleged that he is being subjected to political vendetta by the ruling BJP at the centre, and the corruption charges are false. He won support from the Congress and other opposition parties but Nitish Kumar's silence on the charges was loudest.

Yesterday, after a four-hour meeting of his party Janata Dal United, Mr Kumar signaled that the only way his alliance with Mr Yadav and the Congress, formed in 2015, would survive was if Tejashwi resigned.

"I shall not compromise with my principles. I am firm on my resolve of zero tolerance against corruption," the Chief Minister told his party at his home in Patna.

Later, the party's spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said: "Those facing corruption charges should face the public and come clean on the corruption charges."

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