PM assures Paswan his projects will not be scrapped

Paswan met Vajpayee today following reports appearing in the media that the Government was closing down the six railway zonal offices opened during the last three years. Speaking at a rally here yesterday, Paswan had threatened to resign from the Cabinet if the projects launched during his tenure as the railway minister were scrapped. 8220;The day the projects would be scrapped, Paswan would not be in the cabinet,8221; he had said.

Without naming anyone, Paswan blamed his Cabinet colleagues from Bihar of tying up against him. 8220;Don8217;t underestimate a lion,8221; he said, adding, 8220;He knows well when to attack. He never survives on others.8221;

Paswan received unexpected support from the state CPI which, in a statement, condemned the NDA partners, saying the issue of development had taken the back seat as they were busy fighting among themselves. Bihar CPI secretary Jalaluddin Ansari said infighting in the NDA had resulted in the scrapping of the projects launched by Paswan, and he urged the Government to immediately start work on the Hajipur zonal office and the Ganga bridge.

The turnout at the rally was impressive. Five out of 22 JDU MLAs and two Independent legislators were present. In addition, 33 district presidents were there to express their solidarity.

Aware of his strength in the state, Paswan said at the rally: 8220;Paswan is a votebank. Though I was attacked thrice, I tirelessly worked for the amalgamation of the Dalits and upper-caste Bhumihars in the Naxalite-infested Jehanabad district. I was successful. This simply manifests my popularity and support base. I don8217;t have to depend on others for my victory,8221; he said.

He reiterated that the only way to save the JDU from a split was to make Sharad Yadav quit in favour of some other leader. Otherwise, he said, a new party would be born on November 23 to spearhead the struggle for development.

A political resolution adopted at the rally criticised Samata and JDU leaders who had joined hands with Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD leader Laloo Prasad Yadav.

8220;I don8217;t want that the JDU becomes a B8217;team of the ruling RJD, and therefore, I have to struggle hard to fight against the misrule of the present regime in Bihar,8221; Paswan said.

Besides being a show of strength, the rally was also aimed at projecting Paswan as the leader of the Dalits and backward castes. Since the politics in Bihar revolves round Laloo, the move would help consolidate his position within the NDA.

Speaking to the Prime Minister today, Paswan requested him to make the railway zonal office at Hajipur fully functional and speed up completion of the Patna-Ganga railway bridge and Monghyr railway bridge. He demanded that the general manager of the new zonal office at Hajipur and the other six new zones be appointed at the earliest.