Sack Buta advisor: Bardhan

CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan today said taking away of key departments from Arun Pathak, advisor to Bihar Governor Buta Singh was not ...

CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan today said taking away of key departments from Arun Pathak, advisor to Bihar Governor Buta Singh was not enough and he should be removed. “Pathak is not a good officer,” he said.

Bardhan did not comment on the Governor’s letter to Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav recommending an official’s transfer but said, “We have opposed Governor’s rule in Bihar and have announced a bandh in the state on August 24 to protest against it.”

CPI(M) MP Nilotpal Basu, agreeing it was an issue of propriety, said the matter should be inquired to establish in what context had the Governor written to the Railway Minister. “We need to see how the Railway Minister has responded to the letter. There are laid down transfer rules and we need to find out whether these have been followed,” Basu said.

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Meanwhile, refusing to be drawn into a controversy over Bihar Governor Buta Singh clipping the wings of advisor Arun Pathak, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav today said it was the Governor’s “prerogative”. ‘‘It is the Governor’s prerogative. He (Pathak) is his (Singh’s) advisor, even the Chief Secretary is like his advisor,’’ Yadav told reporters.

LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan said the performance of Bihar administration under President’s rule had been “adversely affected” following the appointment of Arun Pathak and added he had recommended appointment of former Punjab police chiefs Julio Ribiero or K.P.S. Gill in his place. “I recommended appointment of Ribiero or Gill during my meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil two days ago,” Paswan told reporters.

He said the Buta administration “started deteriorating after the appointment of the advisor.”

While the CPI stepped up the attack on Pathak, the CPI(M-L) threatened to launch a mass movement if the Governor and Pathak were not removed immediately. “

No Cong pressure to tie up with Laloo: Paswan

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PATNA: Union Minister and Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan today rubbished reports that he was under pressure from the Congress leadership to join hands with Laloo Yadav’s RJD. ‘‘The question of pressure from the Congress is rubbish. Neither Congress president Sonia Gandhi nor AICC in-charge of Bihar, Digvijay Singh, has asked me to go with Laloo,’’ Paswan said. The LJP leader stressed that there was no question of contesting the forthcoming Assembly polls in association with the RJD till it conceded his demand for a Muslim Chief Minister. ‘‘That is unlikely for Laloo Yadav to accept,’’ he said. — ENS

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