RJD chief Lalu Prasad had also been disqualified as Lok Sabha members following their conviction in the fodder scam.
Our Correspondent / NEW DELHI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday met RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and discussed political situation in the country. They also reportedly discussed the way forward for opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
The meeting came on a day Gandhi got a huge relief from the Supreme Court after it stayed his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his Modi surname remark and paved the way for his reinstatement as a member of the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi reached RJD MP Misa Bharti’s residence to meet Lalu Prasad. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was also present during the meeting.
Congress general secretary organization K C Venugopal accompanied Gandhi as they met Lalu Prasad.
Lalu Prasad and Gandhi were seen hugging each other and sharing a laugh during the meeting.
Gandhi also enquired about Lalu Prasad’s health.
The former Congress chief and Lalu Prasad also discussed Bihar politics where the RJD, the Congress, the Left parties and the JD(U) are in a coalition government headed by Nitish Kumar.
The meeting assumes significance as it comes just ahead of the opposition’s Mumbai meeting likely to take place on August 31-September 1.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad had been disqualified as Lok Sabha members following their conviction in the fodder scam.
Prasad disqualified for a total of 11 years – five years of jail term and six years subsequent to his release –
Seeking to negate the SC verdict, government had introduced a Bill in Parliament in the Monsoon session. But following differences with the opposition, the bill could not be passed.
An ordinance on the lines of the bill was later cleared by the Union Cabinet on September 24 to protect convicted lawmakers.
But reversing its earlier step, the Cabinet on October 2 decided to withdraw the Ordinance as well as Bill in the wake of public outburst against it by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
The overturning of the decision came in the wake of Rahul Gandhi’s trashing of the Ordinance as “nonsense”. He had said it should be “torn” and “thrown out”.
President Pranab Mukherjee had also questioned the government’s decision on the ordinance.