Paswan backs Buta, blames Lalu

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Chief Ramvilas Paswan today firmly supported Bihar Governor Buta Singh's conduct in the Bihar Assembly dissolution case and said he would "not join the chorus of those demanding Buta Singh's resignation". He, however, took care not to appear overtly critical of the Supreme Court judgment in the case.

Instead, he put the blame of imposing President's Rule in Bihar on Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who he said was aided by the NDA.

"The whole world knows that Lalu Prasad wanted either Rabri Devi to be the chief minister or the imposition of President's rule in the state. The NDA exacerbated the effect by openly indulging in horse-trading, especially of LJP MLAs," he said.

He said the Supreme Court should have ruled for the restoration of the old Assembly. "Then the truth of who enjoyed a majority in the House would have come out. I still have 11 MLAs and those who have defected would have been disqualified under the anti-defection law."

The LJP chief unveiled his poll manifesto, which includes an ambitious plan to extend small interest credit of Rs 5,000-20,000 to the self-employed with only labour as collateral. He also spoke of extending 10 per cent reservation in government jobs to dalit Muslims over and above the Mandal quota.

Promising to form a most backward classes commission to look into the issues of reservation for them, the LJP chief said, "The most backward classes enjoyed quota within quota during the Karpoori Thakur regime but that system was discontinued by later governments. We shall look into the matter."

"Health will also be a priority, and each person in the state will be equipped with a health card," Paswan added.

Buta Singh, who was also in Delhi, declared that he had nothing to say on the Supreme Court verdict. He refused to comment on his alleged appointments with either President APJ Abdul Kalam or Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"This is a sensitive time for Bihar and one wrong word here or there will create a wrong impression" was his standard reply to almost all questions.

Asked if the prime minister had asked him to put in his papers, he tersely replied, "Ask him."