HVK Archives: Left to launch campaign against Rabri Devi Govt.
Left to launch campaign against Rabri Devi Govt. - The Hindu
Posted By Krishnakant Udavant (kkant@bom2.vsnl.net.in)
31 July 1997
Title: Left to launch campaign against Rabri Devi Govt.
Author:
Publication: The Hindu
Date: July 31, 1997
The Left parties said today that the political crisis in Bihar had not
ended with the arrest of Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav as the arrangement he had
left "behind" was not acceptable to them. They would campaign against the
new ministry headed by his wife, Mrs. Rabri Devi, which they regarded as a
"mockery" of democracy.
They would also continue to press for the dismissal of the three Rashtriya
Janata Dal (RJD) Ministers at the Centre. Since the party to which they
belonged was not a constituent of the United Front their presence in the
Union Cabinet was an anomaly which they wanted to end as soon as possible.
"That issue is not over", the CPI(M) politburo member, Mr. Prakash Karat,
said.
The Left campaign would be at two levels: in Bihar it would focus on the
"undemocratic" character of the Rabri Devi Government; and at the Centre it
would pressure the Prime Minister, Mr. I. K. Gujral, to sack the three RJD
Ministers - Mr. Raghuvans Prasad Singh, Capt. Jai Narayan Prasad "Nishad"
and Mrs. Kanti Singh.
Senior Left leaders said the Rabri Devi Ministry was a "proxy" government
for Mr. Yadav, and put together through "manipulation". It had no "moral"
authority to continue, considering the manner in which it was formed. The
size of the ministry itself suggested its "abnormal" character, they argued.
The Left campaign would try to impress upon the people the fact that Mrs.
Rabri Devi was made Chief Minister to "protect" a person who was facing
serious charges of corruption, and had no business continuing in office.
The CPI's State unit would meet tomorrow to chalk out its strategy to
mobilise public opinion against the Rabri Devi Ministry. "Our fight is
against corruption and that fight has not ended with Mr. Yadav's arrest,"
said the CPI national secretary, Mr. Atul Kumar Anjan.
The demand for the sacking of the RJD Ministers at the Centre was also
related to the Left's struggle against corruption. For they belonged to a
party which was formed as a reaction to the fight against corruption, and
their own stand on Mr. Yadav's resignation was contrary to the United
Front's declared position that anyone holding public office must resign if
charged with corruption.
Mr. Karat said there was no justification for their continued presence in
the United Front Government. For, not only was the RID not a constituent
of the Front, even individually they had taken a position which was not
consistent with the Front's commitment to fight corruption.
One view in the Left was that with Mr. Yadav away, cracks would soon
develop in the Rabri Devi administration, and the RJD. Rumblings had
already begun with those, who were not included in the ministry. striking
hostile postures. According to this view, there is no effective leader now
to hold the RJD together and it is a matter of time before it starts
cracking up.
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