M A I N   N E W S

Row over Buta’s letter
BJP demands recall of Governor; What is the big deal, says Lalu
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 19
Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded the recall of Bihar Governor Buta Singh for having written an official letter of recommendation for transfer of a railways official to Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo today tried to downplay the controversy saying “it is all natural (for the Governor) to write a letter to me.”

While the BJP termed the letter a “serious matter”, Mr Yadav said: “It is all natural (for the Governor) to write a letter to me. What is the big deal if he (Governor) wrote a letter?”

“The officer in question is still where he was before and has not been posted anywhere,” the Railway Minister said talking to mediapersons after his meeting with the Bihar Governor here.

Yadav said he had informed the Governor about a vigilance inquiry against the officer and the Governor said that if that was the case, he should not be transferred”.

The minister dismissed as “nonsense” the reference to transfer and said since there were some vigilance charges against the officer, “we didn’t transfer him”.

Earlier, BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi accused the Central UPA government of lending “direct or indirect support” to the “unlawful activities” of the Governor and said his party would approach the Election Commission to seek its intervention as elections were due in the state.

“The revelation of Bihar Governor’s recommendation is a serious matter. It has demonstrated that he is not impartial,” Naqvi said while reacting on the reports that Buta Singh had recommended to Yadav the transfer of a railway official.

Alleging that the Governor had been indulging in “undemocratic, unconstitutional and immoral activities,” the BJP leader said he should be recalled immediately, particularly as elections were due in the state and could be “influenced”.

Charging that Buta Singh and Lalu Yadav were in league, Naqvi alleged that the Governor at the “behest” of the RJD chief had recently transferred senior police officers in key places to oblige the RJD chief.

“In turn, Buta Singh has also sought favour from the Railway Minister,” Naqvi alleged. “This is a clear proof that the upcoming elections, if held under Buta Singh, would not be free and fair,” the BJP leader said and added that it was the duty of the Election Commission to take note of it and take appropriate action.

Naqvi also rubbished Yadav’s contention that recommending transfers was nothing unusual, saying “it is for the first time in history that a Governor has recommended in writing the transfer of an official when the state is under Governor’s rule”.

Meanwhile, Lalu Yadav today met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi but maintained that the meeting had no connection with the matter and was on the Rural Employment Guarantee Bill taken up in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

The Bihar Governor had written an official letter, July 5 2005, urging Yadav to help transfer Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer Vijay P. Meshram to Mumbai as Controller of Stores in Central Railway.

Cong in dilemma on Buta’s removal
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 19
The Congress is both embarrassed and concerned over Bihar Governor Buta Singh’s conduct but is in a dilemma over his removal. Although there was no official word on the latest controversy over the governor’s letter to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav regarding the transfer of a senior Railways official, the party is clearly unhappy over Mr Buta Singh’s penchant for courting controversy.

Despite all efforts to play down this issue, the latest controversy has created ripples in the government and Congress circles. Mr Buta Singh was in Delhi while Mr Yadav met Congress President Sonia Gandhi today. Although it was described as a “courtsey visit”, party insiders maintained that the latest controversy over Mr Buta Singh’s letter and the coming Assembly polls figured in this discussion. The Railways Minister, it is learnt, made a case for continuing with Mr Buta Singh.

The Governor had been in the eye of a storm only recently when Bihar Chief Secretary G.S. Kang proceeded on protest leave after Mr Buta Singh transferred several senior officials without consulting him. This issue was eventually resolved but only after the Centre intervened and asked Mr Buta Singh not to overstep his brief.

Even before this controversy had died down, the Centre was presented with a fresh one today with the NDA now all set to confront the UPA government in Parliament on this matter on Monday. Keen to make it an electoral issue in the coming Assembly polls, it has again reiterated its demand for the Governor’s removal.

Congress leaders admit that Mr Buta Singh has become a liability for the party but believe that removing him at this juncture will give the impression that it is acting under the Opposition pressure.