President returns recommendation

BJP sources said the Cabinet might meet only after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee8217;s return from abroad next week after which a formal reply to the President would be sent.

However, an informal meeting of the Cabinet would be held tomorrow to take stock of the situation in the light of the President8217;s decision.

This was thesecond time Narayanan has sent back a Cabinet recommendation for imposition of central rule in a state.

In October last year, he had returned a similar recommendation by the United Front government headed by I K Gujral for imposition of President8217;s Rule in Uttar Pradesh after which the Centre dropped the move.

Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi sent a fax to Narayanan seeking an appointment with him to explain the issues raised against her Government.The presidential decision arrived in the wake of Home Minister L K Advani holding informal discussions with his ministerial colleagues for the second day today but like yesterday, most of the allies stayed away save three 8212; Samata Party, AIADMK and Lok Shakti. For the third time in succession, Akali leader and Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister S S Barnala skipped the meeting on Bihar. But he broke his silence in Lucknow today to protest. 8220;I do not think that this provision should be used for the dismissal of the RJD government,8221; he asserted. 8220;Ourparty has always been against the misuse of Article 356 and, in fact, it wants that this provision be scrapped.8221;

Today8217;s informal meeting of the ministers lasted a little more than an hour but it seemed that the meeting was not able to decide whether the Cabinet should send back its recommendation to the President in case he returned it for reconsideration. It was also not clear if the government had made up its mind to go for dissolution of the Bihar Assembly or keep it under suspended animation.

Samata leader and Defence Minister George Fernandes added a new twist to the drama by hinting that the Government might decide to dissolve the Assembly because of pressure from allies like the AIADMK. This line, of course, fits in with the Samata8217;s long standing demand for dissolution. 8220;I think we should have elections,8221; Fernandes said.

The Defence Minister also contradicted Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi8217;s statement of yesterday that if the President returned the recommendation,the Centre would send it back to him. 8220;I don8217;t agree with this view,8221; he said but added that he was 8220;absolutely certain8221; that the President would accept the Cabinet8217;s decision 8211; a hope clearly belied with the presidential action on the issue.

Despite the brave statements, the BJP was clearly uneasy about the long delay in the President8217;s decision. In fact, party leaders began preparingfor such an eventuality by fielding vice president J P Mathur to speak informally to correspondents today. He claimed that the Government was ready with answers to any clarification the President may seek on the issue.

At the same time, he admitted that if the President returned the recommendation, the Government would have to wait till the Prime Minister returned from New York before taking any further decision. 8220;There is no need for us to hurry as the Cabinet8217;s decision is not politically motivated,8221; he said, trying to make light of the matter.

In Patna, RJD chief Laloo Yadav put behind him the day8217;s setback at theSupreme Court which quashed his appeal against the Patna High Court judgment in the fodder scam case, and led thousands of RJD workers to the Gandhi Maidan for a rally against the BJP Government8217;s recommnedation of imposing Artcile 356 in Bihar.

He and Rabri also found time to meet Sonia Gandhi and thank her for her support at the airport even though many State Congress leaders openly came out against the party8217;s support to the Rabri Devi Government.

Outside the maidan, Laloo blasted the BJP leaders and State Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari and exhorted party faithful to burn effigies of the 8220;enemies8221;. A short distance away, RJD activists kept on pouring kerosene into the fire that was lit during yesterday8217;s yagna. Left parties also organised protest rallies but the Congress did not put up any road show.

Almost the entire Congress leadership was at the airport when Sonia Gandhi arrived around 1 pm after a tour of some flood-hit areas of the State. But since she did not many anyone, many State partyleaders decided to speak their mind and express their resentment to CWC member Madhavrao Scindia.Some party MLAs from south Bihar, who managed to meet Sonia complained against the PCC stand of supporting Laloo and the RJD on the Vananchal issue. These MLAs defied the party line and voted in favour of creating a separate state, which the ruling RJD opposed.

But Scindia seemed ill at case answering a barrage of questions on why the Congress, which had been bitterly critical of the RJD Government until recently, now joined forces with Laloo.

While arguing that this was necessary to fight the 8220;irresponsible8221; behaviour, not only of Union Cabinet Ministers, but also of Governors appointed by the party, he, however, remarked that the RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar 8220;may not be a permanent one8221;.