India moving towards totalitarian regime, emergency: Lalu Prasad Yadav

Prasad also likened the situation in Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to that of ancient Rome when emperor Nero was playing the flute while his kingdom was burning.

"A number of persons have been arrested for alleged Maoist links. Reports have also surfaced alleging that there are threats to the life of the prime minister. All this seems to be a ploy for clamping the Emergency in the country," Prasad told reporters at the airport here.

Maharashtra police yesterday raided homes of prominent Left-wing activists in several states and arrested at least five of them for suspected Maoist links, sparking a chorus of outraged protests from political leaders and human rights defenders.

"The country is inching towards a totalitarian regime," said Prasad, while leaving for Ranchi to surrender before a court tomorrow upon expiry of his provisional bail.

The septuagenarian leader, who was till last week convalescing at a Mumbai hospital, looked weary but managed to walk today. In the recent past, he was seen mostly on a wheelchair.

Asked about the law and order situation in Bihar, Prasad said, "There is no law nor any order left in the state. The prevailing situation reminds one of the era when Nero played the flute while his kingdom was on fire."

After being sent to jail in December last year following conviction in one of the fodder scam cases, Prasad spent a considerable time at the RIMS hospital in Ranchi and at the AIIMS at New Delhi, for treatment of various ailments.

He was released on a provisional bail in May this year by the Jharkhand High Court for medical treatment though he was restrained from taking part in any public functions, political activities or issuing statements to the media during the period.

"I have full faith in the judiciary. Though I have not fully recovered, I am surrendering in deference to the court's order. I have full faith that ultimately the judiciary will do justice to me. My entire family has been framed," Prasad said in an apparent reference to the money laundering cases against his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav.

Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav also left today for Delhi, where they are scheduled to appear before the Patiala House Court on August 31 following a charge sheet lodged by the Enforcement Directorate in the hotels for land scam.

Journalists also asked the RJD supremo whether a piece of black cloth tied on the main gate of his wife's bungalow was to ward off evil eye, but he declined to comment.