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Congress denies forcing RJD to replace Rabri

The Congress today declared that it had nothing to do with the leadership of Rashtriya Janata Dal government in Bihar and any speculation to this effect was "untrue and baseless".

Party spokesperson Girija Vyas told a news conference that "it is none of our business or concern as to who should be the chief minister. The party's sole concern was to see that the dalits and other depressed sections of the society should get full protection and there should be no atrocities''.

She said the Congress opposed the imposition of President's rule because it was an 'unconstitutional act' taken at the behest of Sangh Parivar. The Bharatiya Janata Party government had taken a hawkish stand from the beginning to dismiss the Bihar government. If law and order was the concern, it should have taken the same action in Gujarat, Mahararashtra and Uttar Pradesh where the lives of dalits were insecure.

Meanwhile, former Congress president Sitaram Kesri, in a statement, denied the reports emanating from Patna that he was mediating between the Congress and the RJD on the next chief minister. He said there was absolutely no talk with RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and the report to the contrary was 'concocted, false, malicious, mischievous and baseless'.

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