Bihar 8212; Everybody blames somebody

Pushed to the wall, Laloo said Rabri Devi had sent three letters after the revocation of President8217;s Rule in the state to deal with the present situation. He said State Chief Secretary V S Dubey had also taken up the issue with the Centre.

He alleged that the Centre had not only ignored the state government8217;s plea but hadalso withdrawn eight companies of the Rapid Action Force and nine companies of the Central Reserve Police force recently. He said the CM had demanded 44 companies of the security forces and currently only 28 companies were present in the state.

The MCC, in a well-planned exercise, 8220;engaged8221; the police posted at Saharsha picket in a false encounter and at the same time rushed about 500 armed men to the village for the massacre around midnight yesterday. They dragged male members 8212; women and children were spared 8212; from their houses and took them to a nearby temple where they tied their hands before slitting their throats and stomachs. The angry villagers blamed Congress for the carnage and raised anti-Sonia Gandhi slogans. Congress legislator Jagdish Sharma was stoned by the mob who also chased him with sticks.

That the state Congress is in a spot was evident in the Assembly though its leader Ramashray Prasad Singh demanded the resignation of the Rabri Government. Singh told The Indian Express:8220;I am feeling helpless. Not taking a firm stand on Rabri Devi has pushed the Congress to this state. I personally fail to make out what I shall do as leader of the group.8221;

For the BJP, it was an occasion to target the Congress. Leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Mody and the Chief Minister exchanged angry remarks in the House.The Government, in its reply on an adjournment motion, blamed the Centre for the massacre. Fernandes later blamed the Congress for the carnage but ruled out reimposition of President8217;s Rule in the state. Meanwhile in New Delhi, facing obvious embarrassment on the latest massacre, the Congress put up a flimsy facade stating that it had always maintained that they never wanted Rabri as Chief Minister and backed it up with the convenient position that they were not responsible for her reinstatement.

It may be noted that the Congress had abstained from participating in the trust vote a day before the carnage took place. Expressing deep shock8217;, party spokesman Ajit Jogi said that8220;the moral issue remains. I am not retracting from the stand that Rabri Devi has no moral right to be in office.8221;