Gujral on Laloo: 'Who am I to take a decision?'

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral on Thursday declined to comment on the demand for the resignation of Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and dropping Chandra Deo Prasad Verma from his ministry for their alleged involvement in the fodder scam.

''Who am I to take a decision?'' was the prime minister's cryptic reply when reporters asked him at Rashtrapati Bhavan what action would follow against those being chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the scam.

Meanwhile, Laloo Yadav remained defiant, and demanded an all-party inquiry into the leakage of CBI documents. He reiterated he would not yield to demands for his resignation unless he is convicted. He also told journalists that he had no plans to file a contempt of court case against CBI Director Joginder Singh but would approach the court as an ordinary citizen for justice.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee described as ridiculous charges made by some Janata Dal members that that he had written to the prime minister on April 24 regarding prosecution of those accused in the fodder scam at the CBI's behest.

"In a sense, the letter can be construed as criticism of the CBI chief's earlier attempt to delay the proceedings," he said. The allegation that the letter was written at the behest of the CBI "can at best be described as ridiculous and reflects the desperation of these politicians," he said.

Vajpayee also denied that he had described Laloo Yadav as one of the accused in the letter. "Nowhere did I mention him in my letter," he said.

The CBI submitted on Thursday, in a sealed cover, a progress report on the multi-million rupee fodder scam in the Patna high court.

In deference to an earlier court order Joginder Singh had filed an affidavit answering some questions regarding the scam cases put to him by the court. The court was not satisfied with the CBI director's explanation why he had not completed the investigation into the conspiracy angle in the scam within the time limit set by it. The court is yet to address a CBI petition seeking more time to complete the probe.