MLAs were taken at gun-point, says Buta

Rejecting the NDA's allegation that the Bihar Assembly was dissolved to prevent JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar from forming a government, Governor Buta Singh today said this was done to stop the "worst kind" of horse-trading that was taking place.

"I had received inputs from various quarters about the legislators of a particular party (Loktantrik Janata Party) being taken to unknown places from Bihar in vehicles at gun-point and that they were even being bribed. The worst type of horse-trading was taking place and to stop it, the dissolution of the House was the lone option to save democracy," Singh told reporters.

Asked why did not he act when he had received information about the MLAs being taken away from Bihar, Singh said he was in New Delhi at that time.

However, Singh said he had informed Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and other top UPA leaders about the development before recommending dissolution of the House.

On what had prevented him so far from asking the authorities to file FIRs in this connection, he said cases would be filed only after going into the veracity of the complaints.

On the NDA's allegation that the House was dissolved to prevent Kumar from forming a government, Singh asked where he (Kumar) was during the past two-and-a-half months.

"Why didn't he stake claim to form the government earlier?" Singh asked adding such allegations were made as an afterthought.