Rediff On The NeT: BJP refuses to concede defeat


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February 23, 1999

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BJP refuses to concede defeat

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu today kept the suspense on the issue of President's rule in Bihar alive by not conceding defeat and remarking, "Let us wait. After all, Parliament is supreme, let us wait for the developments."

At a press briefing, Naidu attacked the Congress for deciding to vote against the presidential proclamation in Bihar in both houses of Parliament.

While the electoral arithmetic in the Lok Sabha might enable the BJP-led coalition to scrape through, it is bound to be defeated in the Rajya Sabha.

Naidu said the Congress's stand on President's rule is akin to the devil quoting scriptures, because that party had invoked Article 356 of the Constitution on 97 of the 110 occasions when it was used in the past.

He said the party's decision to vote against the resolution to ratify central rule was a prelude to its joining hands with casteist and corrupt forces.

Naidu was apparently referring to today's meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav. The RJD was ruling Bihar until President's rule was imposed and Chief Minister Rabri Devi, Yadav's wife, was sent packing.

While Yadav, according to Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi, thanked Gandhi for her opposition to President's rule, she pointedly told the RJD chief that her main concern is the suffering of the dalits in the state.

Jogi said Yadav later told him he had assured Gandhi that the interests of the dalits in Bihar would be protected.

But Jogi appeared uncomfortable trying to defend his party's decision to oppose central rule. He kept saying they had to oppose President's rule because the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, through Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari, had begun controlling the state's administration.

Trying to avoid a volley of questions on the party's stand on Bihar, Jogi said the Congress had never extended unqualified support to Rabri Devi's government.

He said the chief minister should have resigned after the Narayanpur massacre.

A senior Congress politician from Bihar told Rediff On The NeT that the decision to oppose central rule in the state could be the result of the government not heeding Gandhi's demand to replace Governor Bhandari with Maharashtra Governor Dr P C Alexander. Alexander is thought to be close to Congress leaders.

The Congressman said the government was initially inclined to agree with the demand to replace Bhandari, which was why Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani made his sudden announcement about Bhandari's transfer. But when the RSS got wind of this development, it put its foot down and the government and Advani had to retract.

The Bihar politician said this angered the party, as a result of which the Congress Working Committee decided to vote against central rule.

Later, answering a question, BJP spokesman Naidu said the Telugu Desam Party has not yet communicated its decision whether it will support central rule in Bihar. He, however, asserted that the government is ready to face any situation.

In another development today, Mulayam Singh Yadav, founder of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (National Democratic Front) met Sharad Pawar, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, in the latter's office in Parliament House. Asked what transpired at the meeting, Yadav said the discussions were of a political nature.

Meanwhile, reports from Bihar say the newly appointed officials in the state administration, especially Chief Secretary Vijay Shankar Dubey and Director General of Police T P Sinha have become apprehensive about the RJD's possible return to power.

It is understood that soon after the CWC decided to oppose central rule, Laloo Yadav warned Dubey, Sinha and other officers appointed by Bhandari that he would have his revenge soon. Some of these officials are now contemplating leaving the state on deputation.

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