The Hindu : Laloo targets BJP, allies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 02, 2003

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Other States - Bihar

Laloo targets BJP, allies

By K. Balchand

PATNA Jan. 1. The Rashtriya Janata Dal president, Laloo Prasad Yadav, today described as uncalled for the call for Bihar bandh on January 3 even as the Opposition parties are desperately trying to make an issue of the fake encounter in which three youth were killed on Saturday.

Mr. Yadav lashed out at the BJP and its allies for "seeking to fan animosity" when the Government had on its own initiated action, as per the law, and booked those found guilty of killing the three youth. The Shastrinagar Officer-in-charge, Shamsi Alam, had been arrested and murder cases filed against him and the guilty. He has also promised to amend the rules and pay compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs to each of the three families.

He wondered what issue the Opposition parties intended to focus through the bandh when the Government was not at fault and was not found wanting in carrying the case to its logical end. Mr. Yadav maintained that there was no need for the CID to submit any report as all the facts of the case spoke for themselves. All that needed to be probed was whether the youth were criminals or not and whether the encounter was fake.

As a matter of fact, the case had been taken away from the Shastrinagar police station and now the CID, after drawing its conclusion, would be filing the charge sheet and pursuing the trial of the case. Mr. Yadav stressed that the facts of the case had been presented in "black and white" and, hence, the Opposition parties had no business pointing an accusing finger at the Government.

Mr. Yadav charged that "bereft of issues" in the poll-year, the NDA had set its eyes on Bihar and with that ulterior motive was attempting to fan violence, which he said, had become apparent from their behaviour on Tuesday. The Government would not tolerate any such designs and warned that it would not act under pressure. Mr. Yadav, who called on the affected families, said that they were all satisfied with the Government action and attacked the Opposition parties for carrying on with their agitation.

Taking exception to media reports, Mr. Yadav said the anger of the residents of Ashiana Nagar was limited to the vicinity and that peace reigned in Patna. While lauding the police for "exhibiting tolerance", the RJD chief denied that any police outpost had been damaged and that only an abandoned checkpost smashed.

The NDA constituents today observed a "black day" and took out a procession under the leadership of the former Union Minister, C.P. Thakur, and the State unit chiefs of the BJP and the Samata Party, Nand Kishore Yadav and Raghunath Jha. They charged that police had been threatening these families to record false statements. The Defence Minister and Samata Party president, George Fernandes, is arriving here in his capacity as the convener of the NDA to take stock of the situation and call on the bereaved families. The Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, too called on these three families. The LJP president, Ram Vilas Paswan, expressing his sympathies with the affected families, demanded a joint session of Parliament to dismiss the RJD-led State Government, besides handing over the case to the CBI.

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