Patna: In a tit-for-tat action, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has alleged that two unauthorised persons travelled by Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani express on August 22 on the tickets issued in the name of Railway Minister Laloo Prasad.

While the Railway Minister was at Muzaffarpur on August 21 and at Mokama and Patna the following two days, a coupe in a first class AC coach in the Howrah-bound Rajdhani express was reserved in his name on August 22 in which two passengers travelled on the tickets meant for Prasad and his companion, senior BJP leader Saryu Roy told sources today (Sep 14, 2004). Demanding a probe into the matter, Roy, a former member of the Bihar Legislative Council, sought the reservation chart of the Rajdhani express on that particular day is made public.

The BJP leader wondered how tickets were booked in the name of the Railway minister when he was supposed to be in Bihar.

Even if booked in advance and Prasad's programme got changed later, why the tickets were not cancelled, Roy argued and alleged "foul play".

The BJP leader demanded that an FIR be lodged against Prasad as had happened earlier in the case of BJP MPs Sushil Kumar Modi and Lalmuni Choubey against whose names four persons were caught travelling illegally on Sep 4, 2004 in Sanghmitra express to participate in Satyagraha programme in Karnataka against the arrest of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti.

"Rule should be equal for everybody," Roy said adding where as the Railway Minister was prompt enough to level "false allegations against Modi and Choubey, he is trying to hide his own illegal practices".