CPI-M to continue fight against Laloo

The United Front cannot approve the "proxy rule" in Bihar and the Communist Party of India-Marxist will continue its fight against former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, CPI-M general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet declared on Saturday.

Dubbing Rabri Devi's installation as a ''drama'', Surjeet said the UF core committee, which met at New Delhi on Friday evening, did not not relish the move.

"The incumbent is totally alien to politics and had never been a member of either the state assembly or the legislative council," the Marxist said, adding that "nobody can swallow this type of manoeuvre". However, Surjeet was not in favour of invoking Article 356 to dismiss the Bihar government.

The nomination of Laloo Yadav's wife, the CPI-M leader said, indicates that he plans to rule the state from prison."His plan is the same, but the tactics have changed," he quipped.

Stating that the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader had no place in the UF, he said a clear decision had been taken on this. As for the continuation of the three RJD ministers in the Front government, the decision was left to Prime Minister I K Gujral.

Justifying the candidature of Andhra Pradesh Governor Krishan Kant for the vice-presidency, Surjeet said he was basically a Congressman and his family was associated with the Servants of India Society.

On rejecting the candidature of Surjit Singh Barnala, he said the Akali Dal leader had met him six times. "I would have liked him to be there, but after he started going with the Bharatiya Janata Party, it cannot be swallowed."

Denying that the CPI-M was trying to bully the government, Surjeet said nobody in the Front had said so and this impression was the creation of the media.

Asked what made him reject the candidature of Tamil Maanila Congress leader G K Moopanar for the prime ministership in April, he said, "Do not try to rake up something which will harm our relations."

UNI