Dissolution of JAAC
Bhandari asks CM to explain

PATNA, Sept 18 (PTI) — In a significant move, the Bihar Governor, Mr Sunder Singh Bhandari, today asked the Rabri Devi government to justify its dissolution of the interim Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council (JAAC).

Mr Mithilesh Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary to the Governor, sent a letter to the state Chief Secretary, Mr S.N. Biswas, seeking to know in what circumstances the interim Jharkhand body was dissolved yesterday and its Chairman, Mr Sibu Soren, and the Vice-Chairman, Mr Suraj Mandal, were sacked, Raj Bhavan sources said.

Highly placed sources in Raj Bhavan said the letter followed a directive by the Governor to his Principal Secretary.

The state government was also directed to explain why the executive councillors and councillors of the JAAC were ‘abruptly removed’.

Earlier, the JMM-S Vice-President, Mr Mandal called on the Governor and submitted a memorandum to him, describing the state government’s action as ‘unconstitutional and unjustified.’

Meanwhile, the draft Bill for the creation of a separate tribal state could not be taken up for discussion by the Bihar Assembly today as it was adjourned after obituary references and the RJD chief, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, demanded its withdrawal even at this stage.

The Chief Minister, Ms Rabri Devi, will place before the House tomorrow the presidential reference seeking opinion on the Bill.

Mr Yadav demanded immediate withdrawal of the Bihar State (Reorganisation) Vananchal Bill, warning that any delay by the BJP-led government in doing so would be fraught with grave consequences.

The special session of the Bihar Assembly, called to consider the Bill, began amidst vehement protests by opposition BJP members against inadequate flood relief.

As soon as the house assembled on the first day of the three-day session, angry BJP members were on their feet, waving placards and raising slogans against the government.

"Barh piditon ko rahat do nahin to gaddi chhode do (give relief to the flood victims or quit)," shouted the BJP MLAs as some of them walked up to the Speaker’s podium and were seen arguing with the Chair.

The BJP members later stormed to the well and sat on dharna for a brief period. Later, they resumed their seats as the Speaker, Deonarayan Yadav, began his opening address to the House.

The assembly was later adjourned for the day after paying homage to former members of the House, who had died during the inter-session period.
The RJD will issue a whip to its MLAs to vote en masse against the Vananchal Bill to be taken up for discussion in the state assembly tomorrow, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav announced today.

"We will certainly issue a whip," he said at a press conference here.

NEW DELHI: The BJP has directed its MLAs in the Bihar Assembly to vote for the formation of Vananchal when Ms Rabri Devi moves the resolution opposing the formation of the separate state.

Talking to newspersons here today, the party vice-president, Mr Krishan Lal Sharma, said there were reports that the Congress too was divided, though the party had formally supported formation of Vananchal.

Meanwhile, the vice-president of the Bihar unit of the RJD and an executive member of the (JAAC), Mr Karamchand Bhagat, resigned from the council, demanding total dissolution of the interim body here today, according to a report from Ranchi.

Mr Bhagat told newsmen here that he had resigned from the JAAC in protest against the RJD chief's recent change of stance over the Vananchal issue.

TNS adds: Faced with the prospect of a revolt in its Bihar Legislature Party, the Congress is unlikely to issue a whip to its MLAs during voting on the question of a separate Vananchal state, party sources said on Friday.

An informal meeting on Friday of the Congress Working Committee, presided over by the party president Ms Sonia Gandhi, was of the view that there was no need to issue a whip in view of a sharp division among its 29-member legislature party, the sources said.

Officially, however, the party maintained that there was time till September 21 to decide on the issue as the voting in Bihar Assembly was to take place on that day.

An AICC spokesman, Mr Ajit Jogi, said the party was committed to creation of the Vananchal state, but made it clear that the question of withdrawal of support to the Rabri Devi government had not arisen.