New Delhi, Feb 7 The arrest of Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav, in connection with a 1995 case triggered sharp political reactions across party lines on Saturday, with leaders offering contrasting views on the legality, timing, and intent behind the police action.
Reacting to the arrest, LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Arun Bharti stressed the importance of constitutional values and legal compliance. “Anyone who is a Member of Parliament must fully respect democratic values, parliamentary norms, and the law,” he told IANS, underlining that elected representatives are not above legal processes.
Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal defended the police action, asserting that it was carried out strictly on the basis of judicial directions. “He keeps making such statements; he has a habit of speaking like this. The truth is that warrants and attachment orders are issued by the court, and it is the duty of the police to follow the court’s orders. In a rule of law, the police will act according to the law,” Jaiswal told IANS.
In contrast, the Opposition strongly criticised the arrest, alleging a political vendetta.
Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput accused the Bihar government of acting out of fear. “Pappu Yadav is exposing the lawlessness of the Bihar government. The Nitish Kumar-led government, supported by the BJP, and Home Minister Samrat Choudhary are scared. Pappu Yadav has been raising public awareness about corruption, misrule, and lawlessness in Bihar, which the government cannot tolerate,” Rajput said.
Questioning the timing, he added, “Why was he not arrested earlier? Why now? Because the Bihar government is scared.”
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat also raised concerns over the manner in which the arrest was carried out, particularly during an ongoing Parliament session.
“Yesterday, I was watching the coverage on television. The way the police behaved was shocking. After all, he is a Member of Parliament and the session was going on. He was neither given a warrant nor was it done properly,” Bhagat claimed.
Pappu Yadav was arrested late on Friday night by Patna Police from his residence amid high drama. The arrest followed a court-issued property attachment warrant in connection with a 1995 forgery case, after his repeated absence during the hearing process.
The case relates to a dispute registered at the Gardanibagh police station. According to the complaint, the house owner alleged that his property was fraudulently taken by the MP to run his office. Complainant Vinod Bihari Lal claimed that his house was rented through deception and later used as a Member of Parliament’s office, a fact he alleged was concealed at the time of the agreement.
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