Cabinet to take up SC order, says Patil

Faced with an embarrassing Supreme Court order on Bihar, the Centre today said the issue would be taken up in the Cabinet and discussed with UPA partners but remained non-committal on the Opposition demand for recall of Governor Buta Singh.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil brought to an abrupt end a press conference here in the face of volley of questions on the issue. The press conference, convened to brief the media on the deliberations of the inaugural session of the two-day Congress chief ministers' conclave, turned out to be a question-answer session on Bihar forcing the home minister and Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni to leave the venue in apparent huff.

"The matter will be discussed in the Cabinet,' Patil said when asked to comment on the apex court describing as "unconstitutional" dissolution of Bihar House and whether the Bihar governor should resign.

"It is too early to say anything. These decisions are not taken in this manner. All (alliance) parties have to come together and without discussing in the Cabinet I cannot comment," he said adding the government was yet to go through the judgement.

He also remained evasive on all questions including whether the verdict will result in a setback to the Congress poll prospects in Bihar and whether the Congress decision of dissolution of the Assembly was wrong.

"I have been here since morning and what has happened in Delhi (is) not directly known to me, Soni has briefed you on the SC verdict. She or I (am) not having text (of the judgment)," he said adding that after going through the entire judgement and understanding it "we would be able to speak."

Patil said: "Generally speaking the governments have been abiding by the judgements and do not try to find faults with them and they (the government) do not defy."

Asked whether the Cabinet decision (on dissolution of Bihar Assembly) was wrong, Patil said this issue couldn't be discussed in the press. "When the issue came up in Parliament we replied to all questions and the resolution was adopted by the House."

When the question was put differently to the home minister as to whether the court order vindicates the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stand, he said "your right is to comment. I will comment (on the issue) in the House (Parliament)."

When pressed further, Patil said, "we will not say anything about any individual, the governor or the judiciary."

Asked how Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had reacted to the court order, Patil said "the Congress president is represented by us (me and Soni)."

Later, when reporters outside the venue of the press conference mobbed Soni, she said senior leaders of the party who are here for the Congress chief ministers' conclave have informally discussed the issue.

The home minister also did not give a direct reply when asked whether the government would approach a larger bench of the Supreme Court.

"This is exactly what I am trying to say that without going through the entire judgement, I cannot come to this conclusion or that conclusion. And this is not a decision which will be taken by one minister in the government," he said.

"Judgement is in front of us and we know how it is. It is said in the judgement that elections should go on. So from which angle we are looking is important," he said.

On the NDA claiming that the verdict has vindicated its stand, Patil said "don't ask me to comment. It is your (media) right, not mine. I have the right to listen to you".

About the court describing the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly as "unconstitutional", he said "we cannot reply by focusing on just one word and by discussing it in the press.

When the issue came up in Parliament, we answered everything and every word said there is recorded in written form... I am here and talking, without consulting others, is wrong".

Pointedly asked whether Buta Singh should demit office, Patil said "it is too early to say anything....These are the decisions which are not taken in this panel. The decisions are taken when all the parties which have formed the government come together and decide".

"A person will consider his own opinions as well as the whole situation to arrive at a conclusion," he said.