National

Conscienee Pangs

Laloo's position becomes shakier after a minister resigns

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Conscienee Pangs
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INDER Singh Namdhari has always acted on his conscience. In 1990, he snapped his nearly three-decade-did association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its political offshoot, the Bhatiya Janata Party (BJP). He walked away with one-third of the party legislators to come to the aid of Laloo Prasad Yadav then running a minority government, as he became a hero of sorts for secular forces. After Laloo arrested L.K. Advani, en route to Ayodhya on the original rath yatra, Namdhari gave the much-needed numerical elixir to the Laloo government.

But six years later, Laloo's secular plank has been completely overtaken--by corruption charges, a deteriorating law and order situation and an inept government. As Governor A.R. Kidwai pondered whether he should give the nod to prosecute Laloo in the Rs. 950 crore fodder scandal, Namdhari, now a cabinet minister in charge of revenue and land reforms, once again acted on his conscience. On May 23, he resigned, and sent a copy of the letter to Kidwai. The act was meant to exert moral pressure to bring about Laloo's resignation, perhaps even before Kidwai sanctions the prosecution. And at the ground-level, Namdhari's dramatic action could only propel dissident activities against Laloo.

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Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and senior Bihar minister S.P Tekriwal tried to persuade Namdhari to stay with Laloo by invoking common mentor Karpoori Thakur, but in vain. "My action will pave the way for a smooth change of leadership without inviting fresh election," Namdhari told them. The message was clear. That Laloo should quit if the Dal government is to be saved in the state.

Namdhari holds a series of grudges against Laloo. He had complained of a lack of cooperation from the chief minister while implementing 'Operation Toder Mal', an ambitious scheme to acquire land from people who had it in surplus, beyond the ceilings, and distribute them among the landless. According to Namdhari, this project would have considerably stemmed recurring Naxalite clashes, which has its roots in the feudal agrarian set-up. When he fell out with Laloo over the project, he resigned, but rejoined the cabinet on Laloo's assurance that land reform measures were a priority and would be speeded up.

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The fodder scam is the new irritant between the two. "We have information that Namdhari was in touch with BJP leaders, including Yashwant Sinha, and maybe he is looking for an excuse to go back to his roots," said a minister close to Laloo. Namdhari, of course, rubbished speculation that he was rejoining the BJP. He assured JD leaders: "The BJP will gain only if the chief minister insists on retaining power. Not by my resignation."

But Laloo is wily enough to understand the implications of Namdhari's resignation; that it can affect his political survival: "It will send a wrong signal. I have requested him to withdraw the resignation." In fact, the chief minister even tried to give a new angle to the development--to shift focus from his rift with Namdhari. On May 21, Ram Das Rai, a Laloo loyalist, assaulted Namdhari at a party meeting. "I will call both Namdhari and Rai and settle the matter," said Laloo. Namdhari, showing little interest in Laloo's game, announced that his decision is irrevocable. More so, because Laloo didn't heed his advice to step down.

As expected, the dissident camp is jubilant. Just when it had suspended its oust-Laloo campaign, pending sanction from the governor, Namdhari's move came as a fillip. Ganesh Prasad Yadav, a dissident legislator, welcomed Namdhari's move and appealed to other ministers to follow suit. There are indications that Pashupati Kumar Paras, Ram Vilas Paswan's brother and minister of jail, may also resign.

As for Laloo, all this could not have come at a worse time. The CBI's much-publicised fodder findings have tarnished his do-gooder image, and Namdhari, the squeaky-clean Mazhabi Sikh from Palamau, has only weakened the chief minister's position further by adopting a moral stand against corruption.

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