Another jolt to Laloo as Kidwai defers monsoon session

PATNA, June 20: The beleaguered Laloo Prasad Yadav today received a second blow from Governor A R Kidwai who, acceding to dissident Janata ...

PATNA, June 20: The beleaguered Laloo Prasad Yadav today received a second blow from Governor A R Kidwai who, acceding to dissident Janata Dal leaders’ request, deferred the monsoon session of the Bihar Assembly to July 14.

On another front, the CBI seems to have sorted out its internal problems over the filing of the charge-sheets in the fodder scam. According to sources, these will be filed tomorrow. Joint Director U N Biswas, who had gone to Calcutta reportedly in a huff over the delay in the matter, today rushed back to Patna and held a meeting.

The timing of the assembly session had become a matter of honour between Laloo and his rivals. While the Chief Minister wanted it early to use it as a guard against CBI action, the dissidents were determined not to let the House be convened as scheduled on June 23.

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Today, they again sent a delegation to Kidwai, and reiterated their demand not to allow Laloo to expand the Cabinet, nominate candidates to the Bihar Legislative Council, or recommend dissolution of the Bihar Assembly. The Governor apparently assured them that he would do nothing to precipitate the crisis.

The dissidents reportedly also told Kidwai that they would be holding a meeting of JD legislators soon to elect a new leader under the supervision of central observers, nominated by the Prime Minister and party general secretary Ram Vilas Paswan. However, that may not prove so easy. While Laloo is still refusing to budge, fissures have started appearing in the dissident front on the leadership issue. At least three sacked ministers and former Bihar Assembly speaker Ghulam Sarwar are said to be in the race.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister announced today that he was accepting the resignations of dissident ministers Inder Singh Namdhari and Pashupati Kumar Paras. And also declared, to the applause of his supporters, that in future, no “outsider” would be sent to the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha from Bihar.

Debris found in Dal Lake could be from missile Pak fired during Op Sindoor

India2 hr ago

Debris believed to be from a missile fired by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May has been found in Srinagar's Dal Lake. The debris has been handed over to the Air Force for further investigation. Sources say the target may have been a military installation in Srinagar, which is close to the lake. The make of the missile is yet to be determined.

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