Bihar row: BJP quick to defend Nitish govt

The findings of the CAG report and the subsequent High Court intervention have the Opposition in Bihar up in arms against the Nitish govt.

The findings of the CAG report and the subsequent High Court intervention have the Opposition in Bihar up in arms against the Nitish Kumar government. But the controversy has prompted the BJP and the JDU warring till some days back to come to each others rescue and put up a united fight.

BJP is leaving no stones unturned to defend the Nitish government and rubbish the demands for his resignation made by RJD chief Lalu Prasad and the Congress. On Thursday,it came out with past reports of the CAG reviewing the expenditure of certain Central ministers and some of the state governments to argue that un-reconciliation of expenditure was a common phenomenon.

In the report of the CAG for the accounts of the Union government for the year 2008-09,repeated references are made for outstanding utilisation certificates in different departments. For instance,unreconciled expenditure of Department of Health stands at Rs 2,003 crore and in case of Department of Family Welfare,it was Rs 9,789 crore, said BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.

He claimed similar was the case with several state governments,including the Congress-ruled Maharasthra,the Left-ruled West Bengal and the BSP-ruled UP. If going by the argument of Congress and RJD,should the CBI inquiries be ordered against the Centre and some of the state governments? he asked.

Prasad said the Opposition was making an issue out of the CAG report and the HC ruling with an eye on elections. What happened in the Bihar Assembly is deeply regrettable and reprehensible. The unruly behaviour of some of the Opposition MLAs and MLCs has shamed our democracy, he said.

The BJP spokesperson said perusal of the CAG report was the right of the Public Accounts Committee.

RJD MLAs protest,lathicharged

PATNA: The Opposition RJD on Thursday took to the streets to protest suspension of 67 MLAs from the Assemblys ongoing session. The MLAs were suspended on Wednesday for their rowdy behaviour inside the House.

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Over 200 RJD protesters blocked R-Block crossing and tried to cross iron gates and enter the Assembly. Several protesters were injured when police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.

RJDs youth wing took out a funeral procession of the NDA government in Patna to protest the suspension of the MLAs. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav,while condemning the lathicharge,termed the Nitish government as fascist.ENS