Samata’s no-action plan bared by leader

He said neither the Central nor the state leadership had any programme to make inroads into RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav’s vote bank by roping in minorities, Dalits and the backwards. Instead, the party leadership was giving preference to the upper castes who were already opposed to the RJD.

Chaudhary sought to know from the state leadership what course they were going to adopt for the ouster of the Rabri Devi Government. He said there was not even an iota of truth in the statement of Samata Party ministers that the Centre was considering to recommend to the president again for dismissal of the Rabri Devi Government.

Chaudhary said the Centre had no ground to reconsider the proposal ofsending the recommendation again to the president.

The president, had categorically said that the invocation of Article 356 could not be ratified in the Rajya Sabha in view of lack of majority of the BJP-led coalition and the Congress Party’s opposition to the Central rule, he said.

He felt that the turning down of the recommendation reflected contradiction between the president and the prime minister on the constitutionality of the matter.

He, however, appealed to the president to visit Bihar to get first hand knowledge about the situation prevailing there and to decide whether the invocation of Article 356 was warranted.

Meanwhile, the pro-Jharkhand forces have threatened to take to “militant” agitation if the Centre failed to bring the Bihar state Re-organisation Bill 1998 in the winter session of Parliament.

Talking to reporters in Ranchi, leaders of the Sarvodaliya Alag Rajya Nirman Samiti (SARNS), the Jharkhand Ekta Manch (JEM) and the Left Democratic Separate State Struggle Committee saidthey would be forced to resort to militancy if the bill was not adopted in the coming session of Parliament.The pro-Jharkhand forces have already announced a 24-hour bandh-cum-blockade on November 30 followed by a hundred-hour economic blockade from December 1 in the entire 18 districts of the region to press the Centre on their demand.A massive rally on November 15, on the Birsa Munda day, has also been announced.

The leaders said they would wait till December 5 for the bill to be tabled in Parliament. They would meet the next day to chalk out their further course of action.