At a press conference today, RJD general secretary Raghuvans Prasad Singh said that the Bihar Assembly had adopted a resolution against the division of the State. He announced that his party was organising a mass rally in Delhi to protest against the creation of Vananchal.

A million volunteers would be mobilised in Bihar to court arrest against the Centre's move, he said.

The Centre, he added, would be solely responsible if people resorted to violence in the State.

Singh alleged that the Centre had committed constitutional impropriety by rushing through the Bill.

This was especially true, he said, with the Bihar Assembly had opposed the creation of the new state. He also accused the BJP and Congress of joining hands despite an all-party decision that the Bill should not be treated on par with the Billsfor creation of Uttaranchal and Chhatisgarh states.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also joined the RJD in opposing the Vananchal Bill which was introduced in the Lok Sabha by ignoring the advice of the Bihar government.

Meanwhile, Jharkand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren has welcomed the Bill for the creation of Vananchal saying that it would fulfill the aspirations of the people of southern Bihar.

Union Minister Babulal Marandi also said that the Centre would announce a special package for the rest of Bihar once formalities for creation of Vananchal were complete.

He, however, did not agree that division of Bihar would impoverish the rest of the State.