Government retreats on Bihar
No loss of face: Advani
Tribune News Service and PTI

NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Union Cabinet tonight dropped its recommendation for imposition of President’s rule in Bihar bringing to an end the five-day suspense marked by President KR Narayanan’s rejection of the move last night.

The decision not to "pursue the matter any further" was taken at an emergency meeting of the Cabinet after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee issued a direction from New York that it meet today itself and decide the issue.

Despite some hardliners in the BJP pushing for reiteration of the Cabinet recommendation, the retreat by the government came with some allies of the ruling coalition including Lok Shakti’s Ramakrishna Hegde and Akali Dal’s Surjit Singh Barnala making a strong plea that the government should not carry the matter any further in deference to President’s reservations against the Cabinet decision.

Home Minister L K Advani, who chaired the 45-minute meeting, told reporters, "We will not press the matter further".

Immediately after the meeting held in South Block, Mr Advani conveyed the Cabinet decision to the President in the adjacent Rashtrapati Bhavan over telephone.

This is the second time in the less than a year that President Narayanan has forced the government to retrace its steps on recommendation for imposition of President’s rule.

Last year, the United Front government dropped its moves for dismissal of the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh after Mr Narayanan returned the Cabinet’s recommendation.

Mr Advani said the Cabinet’s reply to the president reiterated that use of Article 356 in Bihar would be "most appropriate and constitutional" but felt that in deference to the President’s wishes the matter need not be pressed further.

Replying to questions, the Home Minister said the President’s rejection of the Cabinet recommendation was not a setback or loss of face to the government. He rejected the Opposition demand for making public the President’s communication to the government.

In a meeting earlier in the day, the Union Cabinet today informally went into all the aspects of the President’s communication seeking clarification on the Government’s recommendation to impose central rule in Bihar, amid strong indications that the Vajapyee government may not press the issue further by deciding not to reiterate its recommendation to the President.

Though the meeting did not take a final view on the entire issue, two opinions crystallised after long deliberations. Some ministers were said to be of the opinion that the Government could reiterate its recommendation to the President on the ground it was constitutionally binding on him. Others said that the matter should await the return of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, from his visit abroad next week.

The Election Commission’s announcement of assembly elections in four states today has added another dimension to the issue, a senior minister said adding that if the Cabinet today decided to reiterate its demand to the President then Parliament would have to be convened for ratification of the imposition of Presidential rule in Bihar.

With elections scheduled for November 25, Parliament would have to be convened latest by November 20 within the stipulated period of 60 days for ratification of the decision to impose Central rule, as laid down by the Supreme Court.

The presumption follows, the President, Mr KR Narayanan, immediately putting his signatures on the proclamation of central rule, the Minister pointed out adding that it might cause some embarrassment to the political parties busy in the election campaign.

The Prime Minister was being kept informed of the situation. Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani held telephonic talks today during which the Prime Minister is said to have asked the Home Minister to go ahead with the Cabinet meeting and to take a final decision on the issue.

Barring a few ministers, the majority opinion within the Cabinet appears to be veering around to the view that the Government should let the matter rest as the Vajpayee government has already scored politically.

"We have already kept our promise to the people of Bihar that if voted to power, we would seek to remove the Rabri Devi government", a minister said adding that the political polarisation has already begun.

All the political parties opposing the imposition of central rule in Bihar would now be bracketed with the "most malignant and uncouth" political combination of the state namely the Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav in the popular perception, another minister said vehemently disagreeing with the view that it would tantamount to loss of face to the BJP-led coalition government. All our allies,opposed to the use of Article 356, would also be happy at the decision, sources said.

On the contrary, a clear message would go to our allies, who have been demanding imposition of President’s rule in their respective states, that the President would not accept such unfair demands on the government.

Mr Advani, after the informal meeting, told mediapersons that a formal Cabinet meeting would be held in the evening.

The Home Minister said yesterday’s communication of the President was more detailed than the one he had sent to the United Front regime with respect to Uttar Pradesh. He said the Government was aware of the legal opinion about the Cabinet’s recommendation for keeping the Bihar Assembly under suspended animation.

Victory of people: Laloo

NEW DELHI, Sept 26 (PTI) — RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav tonight said the Union Cabinet’s decision not to press further its recommendation for imposition of President’s rule in Bihar should become a precedent for stability of elected government in states.

Reacting to the Cabinet’s decision, he told PTI by telephone that the tendency of a ruling party at the Centre to destabilise state governments under the rule of other parties must come to an end.

His wife and Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi said she was thankful to President K.R. Narayanan for saving democracy in the country.

Mr Yadav said it was a victory of the people and he would congratulate not only the Opposition parties which stood by the Rabri Devi government but also allies of the BJP which did not share its perception over the issue and opposed use of Article 356 in Bihar.

The Congress on Saturday night described the decision of the Union Cabinet not to reiterate its demand for dismissal of the Rabri Devi government in Bihar as a failure on the part of the Centre.

Senior party leader and Congress Working Committee member Jitendra Prasada said "this is a total exposure of the BJP-led government’s failure and lack of confidence to govern the country".

The decision to recommend imposition of President’s rule in Bihar was a "misconception of the situation and incompetence" of the government. It would "severely damage" the image of the BJP and the Vajpayee government.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday hailed the decision of the Centre not to press the Bihar matter any further and said President K.R. Narayanan has for the second time blunted the sharp edge of the draconian Article 356 of the Constitution.

In a statement, he said the success of an Opposition demand was good for a democracy and thanked the President and the government for accepting his advice.

Mr Karunanidhi said in the light of Saturday’s development the bandh sponsored by the DMK and its supporting parties on September 28 had been called off.

PATNA: Mr Yadav on Saturday advised state Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari to resign honourably in view of turning down of his recommendation by the President.

Talking to newsmen here, Mr Yadav said that nobody with self-respect would like to continue in the office under such a humiliating situation.

Mr Yadav said that Mr Bhandari was made a scapegoat by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had been appointed Governor only to obtain a report against the RJD government in the state.

Charging Bihar Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari with submitting a "concocted, false and malafide" report to the Centre, Mr Yadav demanded that details of the report be made public.

"The people have every right to know the basis on which the BJP government had recommended the President to invoke an extraordinarily harsh provision like Article 356", he said.

"They (Governor and Centre) did everything within their means to mislead the President", Mr Yadav said adding "but I thank K.R. Narayanan for his exemplary wisdom... for protecting Indian constitution and giving Indian democracy a fresh lease of life".

The RJD chief said the BJP government had taken the drastic step of recommending President’s rule as the Rabri Devi government had got the Bihar Reorganisation Bill for creation of Vananchal rejected in the assembly by an overwhelming majority.

"Come what may.... losing our government is a small price. We are prepared to pay for the great cause of keeping Bihar united", Mr Yadav said.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday night described as "dignified and correct" the central Cabinet decision not to press its recommendation for dismissal of the Bihar Government.

Talking to PTI, Mr Badal said that his party’s stand on Article 356 has been further strengthened and fully vindicated.

Mr Badal said that time has come to have a national rethinking on Article 356.

Reactions

The following were reactions which poured in from various leaders:

NEW DELHI: Expressing gratitude to Mr Narayanan for sending back the Centre’s recommendation for action against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) government, RLM spokesman Amar Singh told reporters that the President’s decision was a slur on the face of the BJP-led coalition and said "the Centre has lost all its moral right to stay in office even for a moment".

"We are grateful to the President for protecting the decorum of the Constitution by taking a right decision." He said and thanked all secular parties and some partners of the ruling coalition for opposing the use of Article 356.

Attacking Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi for their statements regarding Bihar, Mr Singh described BJP leaders as fascists "who do not even care for the President.... their only aim is to stick to the chair."

Branding the Bihar Governor as an RSS man, he said S.S. Bhandari was in fact "RSS Bhandari and accused the Centre of flouting Sarkaria Commission recommendations on appointment of the Governor after consulting the state Chief Minister.

CHENNAI: President K.R. Narayanan’s decision to send back for reconsideration the Cabinet’s recommendation for imposition of President’s rule in Bihar came in for praise from former union minister and DMK parliamentary group leader, Murasoli Maran, said on Saturday. In a letter to the President, Mr Maran congratulated the President for his "historic decision" which, he said, was a beacon guiding the nation "in the hour of darkness".

Recalling the Uttar Pradesh episode during the tenure of the United Front government, the BJP leadership had then "rejoiced" at your "righteous decision". Likewise, the BJP now should not stand on "false prestige" and should discover the right path.

A Tamil Nadu based political party, MGR Kazhagam, on Saturday for holding a referendum in Bihar to elicit the views of the people on the Rabri Devi government instead of using Art 356 to dismiss it.

The Kazhagam President, RM Veerappan, told reporters here that this was a better way to find out whether the people favoured the Rabri Devi government in Bihar or not.

Mr Veerappan was replying to a question on the statement of Defence Minister and Samata Party leader George Fernandes, that it was necessary to dismiss the Rabri Devi government to save the 100 million people of Bihar.

Since both Mr Fernandes and former union minister and Janata Dal leader Ram Vilas Paswan were from Bihar, it would be better if they themselves made efforts to have the referendum.

Welcoming the decision of the President to refer back the Union Cabinet’s recommendation on the issue, Mr Veerappan said if the Cabinet once again sent its recommendation for the dismissal after reconsideration, then the President should convene a session of Parliament to get the opinion of the House.

He said the President should also ask political parties not to issue a whip so that MPs could act on the issue on their own.

BANGALORE: Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel on Saturday hailed President K.R. Narayanan’s decision to return to the centre its recommendation to impose central rule in Bihar for reconsideration.

Mr Patel said in a statement here that the President had upheld the highest democratic traditions by his actions.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre should give up its move to sack the Rabri Devi government in Bihar by honouring return of the Cabinet recommendation by President K.R. Narayanan, former union minister and CWC member A K Antony said.

"Prime Minister Vajpayee should follow what the former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral did when the President returned the United Front government’s recommendation to dismiss the Kalyan Singh government of Uttar Pradesh. Then, Mr Gujral had honoured the President’s views on the matter," Mr Antony told reporters here.

PONDICHERRY: The Pondicherry Pradesh Congress Committee on Saturday welcomed President K.R. Narayanan’s decision of returning the Union Cabinet’s recommendation to impose President’s rule in Bihar.

In a statement here Pondicherry unit general secretary of the party A Gandhiraj said that the President’s decision had proved that the Cabinet’s recommendation was unconstitutional and undemocratic.