Hours after the conviction of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad in the fifth fodder scam case on Tuesday, Bihar’s leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said his ailing father was being pronounced guilty all the time because he had espoused the cause of the poor while the rich and the powerful involved in various scams go scot free in the country.

A special court in Ranchi on Tuesday convicted Prasad in the ₹139.5 crore Doranda treasury embezzlement case, the fifth case against him in the fodder scam in Jharkhand, which was part of undivided Bihar at the time.

“We will go to the high court against the lower court verdict. There is no need to get disappointed as Lalu ji has never been found guilty in people’s court,” Yadav told reporters in Patna the verdict.

Tejashwi Yadav, who is Prasad’s younger son and his political heir apparent, said, “It appears that fodder scam is the only scam which happened in independent India. Nobody wants to know anything more. Only one leader is being held guilty all the time. It looks odd. Why is that Vijay Mallaya, Mehul Chowksi, Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or people behind bank fraud of ₹22,000 crore or those involved in the huge drug haul at a port have not been made accountable?”

Yadav accused central investigating agencies of being a wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP).

“In Bihar, there have been 80 scams during the tenure of chief minister Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. How many ministers have gone to jail,” he asked. “I have been myself charge sheeted in cases against me. How did it all happen?” he asked, hinting that he was also framed in corruption cases out of political vendetta.

Meanwhile, the mood among RJD leaders was downcast, with 10 Circular Road residence of former chief minister and Prasad’s wife Rabri Devi wearing a deserted look. A few RJD activists were seen carrying placards in solidarity outside the residence, which has been abuzz with activity for last one week after Prasad returned to Patna to attend party’s national executive held on February 10.

On the other hand, ruling BJP and JD(U) leaders welcomed the verdict.“What you sow, you reap. The conviction of the Lalu in the fifth fodder scam case is actually a fallout of the way the RJD chief had cheated the poor during his stint in power,” former deputy chief minister Sushil Modi said.

“Yadav should not make allegations that he was framed out of political vendetta as the charge sheet was filed against him when Deve Gowda was leading the United Front government at the Centre.

JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar said the RJD chief was already convicted in previous cases and getting pronounced guilty in the fifth case was a “natural process” “The verdict also means that amassing wealth illegally for one’s family is a crime,” he said.