PATNA, SEPT 10: Defence Minister George Fernandes and Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today said the Rabri government in Bihar ``may be dismissed any moment''.``The Union Home Minister, L K Advani, has already made clear Centre's stand on the dismissal of Bihar government. It may be dismissed any moment,'' Kumar told reporters here today.
Asked whether the Centre would wait until President Dr K R Narayanan, who is presently on a four-nation tour, returns before invoking Article 356 in Bihar, Kumar said, ``Obviously we have to wait till his (Narayanan's) return.''
Both leaders alleged that ``there is no rule of law in the State and complete anarchy and chaos have gripped Bihar in the seven-and-a-half-year misrule of Laloo-Rabri regimes''. ``People feel insecure with criminals ruling the roost and State administration remains a mute spectator to lawlessness,'' Kumar said.
On the deadline set by Samata Party's State unit that it would not allow entry of the two party ministers (Fernandes and Kumar) intoBihar if the State government was not dismissed by October 15, he said ``The deadline is very far. The people don't have to wait for action against the RJD ministry till then.''
Kumar along with Fernandes and Union Agriculture Minister Som Pal arrived here from New Delhi to make an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Bihar.
Kumar also charged the Rabri government of ``abject failure'' in providing relief to the flood-hit people of the State, where 306 have died so far.
Samata's State unit president, Raghunath Jha, who was present at the airport, reiterated his party's stand that it would prevent entry of the two ministers in Bihar and seek their resignation from Union Cabinet if the Rabri Devi ministry was not dismissed by October 15.
Meanwhile, the BJP today called for Central intervention in Bihar to ``save the State from total lawlessness and anarchy'' while denying reports that there was confusion between its Central and State unit as well as allies (Samata Party) in Bihar.
The BJP was againstthe misuse of Article 356 but felt that the Article could be invoked when necessary, Naidu said. The party has stated several times earlier that Bihar is a fit case for President's Rule. Naidu said that ministers were indulging in unlawful activities, a number of witnesses in the fodder scam had disappeared or died mysteriously and even IAS officers' family members were being harassed.
Attacking the Congress further, Naidu compared the party to a dodo - a bird that is now extinct. ``The Congress is like the dodo, the bird that was so happy with its existence that it forgot to fly,'' he said. He described the Pachmarhi Declaration as status quoits and a ruse to provide the Left parties with an ideological cover to legitimise their ``unholy union'' with the Congress.
The Pachmarhi Declaration reflected the ideological bankruptcy in the party. ``The Declaration is a commitment to status quo - another description for political fence-sitting. We want to know the Congress' final stand on economic reforms,''Naidu said.
``Wearing a poverty badge and talking of the poor will not help,'' he observed, adding that the Congress was indulging in vote-bank politics.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.