NEW DELHI/PATNA, SEPT 23: Differences in Janata Dal came to the fore today on the issue of dismissal of Rashtriya Janata Dal Government in Bihar with the party secretary general Ram Vilas Paswan attacking senior party leaders who have taken up cudgels in favour of Laloo Prasad Yadav.Addressing a press conference, Paswan took exception to a four-member delegation of party leaders led by former prime minister I K Gujral meeting the President K R Narayanan to oppose imposition of President's Rule saying they had gone against the party line.
The Political Affairs Committee of the party which met early this month had decided that the high command would go by the views of the party unit in Bihar on the issue of dismissal of Rabri Devi Government, he said adding the entire state unit was in favour of imposition of President's Rule in the state.
``We endorse their view,'' he said and added that PAC would meet soon to decide its future course of action.
Earlier in the day, the four member JD delegation headed by Gujral met the president and asked him to reject the Union Cabinet recommendation which was based on a ``partisan'' report of the state governor.
Jaipal Reddy, who was part of the delegation, said that the PAC has not taken any decision on the issue.
Party president Sharad Yadav, who is in Jaipur, however, declined to comment on the Bihar development. Sharad Yadav today refused to react on the Centre's recommendation for dismissal of Rabri Devi government and imposition of President's rule on Bihar. ``The party will make its views known within a day or two and I have nothing to say anything about Bihar just now,'' Yadav said at a news conference.
However, the Bihar unit of Janata Dal today took ``serious exception'' to senior party leaders meeting the President to oppose recommendation of President's Rule in Bihar and demanded their immediate expulsion from the party.
``It is quite objectionable and uncalled for that Gujral, Bommai and others met the President to oppose dismissal of the corrupt and ineffective Rabri Devi ministry when the party had already supported the move,'' state JD president, Ramjivan Singh told reporters in Patna.
Charging Gujral and Bommai with trying ``to break the Dal,'' Singh called for an emergent meeting of the party's national executive to expel them.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.