Rabri Govt sacked

The dismissal of the Rashtriya Janata Dal government followed a recommendation by the Union Cabinet which met twice in the past 24 hours to review the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, particularly after the gunning down of 12 Dalits on Wednesday night by the Ranabir Sena in the state.

Simultaneously the Cabinet sent a three member ministerial team to Narainpur, the site of the latest massacre of Dalits, for an on the spot study of the situation in the troubled Jehanabad district.

The district was also a scene of brutal killings of 23 Dalits last month.

The Home Minister L K Advani who chaired the Cabinet meeting conveyed to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, currently in Jamaica, the Cabinet decision before forwarding it to President K R Narayanan.

Narayanan was in Calcutta and the file was sent to him by an afternoon flight at 1400 hrs. By the time the file reached, the President had already left for some functions. He saw the file when he came back to the Raj Bhawan at 1935 hrs and signed the recommendation.

Replying to questions, Mahajan said the assembly was placed under suspended animation in line with the supreme court judgement in the Bommai case which said the recommendation for President8217;s rule has to be ratified by parliament before the assembly is dissolved.

Mahajan said the Cabinet had on September 22 recommended to the President the imposition of Central rule in Bihar. But this recommendation was sent back to the Cabinet for reconsideration.

Though the Cabinet felt that its recommendation was correct, in deference to the President8217;s wishes it did not send it back then.

8220;In light of the incidents in the state in the past four months, and especially during the last four days, the Cabinet has completed the reconsideration and sent it back to the President,8221; he added.

Mahajan said that in light of the changed situation, no one should oppose President8217;s rule in Bihar.