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Left says Gujral cause for Laloo's defiance

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Leaders of the Left parties on Tuesday night told Prime Minister I K Gujral that his indecisiveness had emboldened Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav to remain in office despite being chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the fodder scam case.

According to a senior Forward Bloc leader who attended the Left parties's informal meeting on Tuesday night to take stock of the situation, Communist Party of India leader A B Bardhan attacked the prime minister's irresolute stand regarding Laloo Yadav's continuance in office. It was pointed out that Laloo Yadav had gone on record to say that since Gujral had not directly asked him to resign, he would not quit.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Prakash Karat felt a more decisive attitude was expected from the prime minister during a political crisis which threatened the survival of the ruling 13-party combine. The leaders later met Gujral and briefed him about their views.

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, in a separate meeting with supporters, said Gujral's conduct during the past few weeks showed he was incapable of confronting Laloo Yadav, who had displayed little regard for the law. Deve Gowda said if the prime minister continued to adopt a conciliatory attitude towards the Bihar chief minister, there was no guarantee that the United Front government would last.

Bihar politicians Sharad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan, who attended Deve Gowda's meeting, did not utter a word in Laloo Yadav's defence. Paswan, who recently attended the informal Cabinet meeting to consider the imposition of President's rule in Bihar, seemed to endorse Deve Gowda's views, Janata Dal officials said later.

However, when Deve Gowda said only a politically sound leader should have been selected as his successor, Paswan reportedly intervened and said such references should be avoided. Significantly, Deve Gowda's supporters have consistently made references to Gujral's lack of a political base.

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet's proposal for considering President's rule in Bihar has once again received a boost, with Justices S N Jha and S J Mukhopadhya of the Patna high court observing on Tuesday that there was evidence to suggest that the Bihar police was encouraging traffic hold-ups. The United Front leadership has reportedly taken cognisance of the judges's observation.

RELATED STORY: Chargesheet against Laloo poised to split JD

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