JD(U) MPs resign to protest MNS attacks

NEW DELHI: Politicking over the attacks on examinees from Bihar appearing for a railway recruitment test in Mumbai and the shooting of a Patna
youth, Rahul Raj, took a new turn with JD(U) Lok Sabha MPs handing in their resignations and putting RJD, LJP as well as BJP in a fix.

The JD(U) MPs' move to hand in their papers was immediately attacked by RJD leader Lalu Prasad and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan as "mere drama" while the BJP chose not to react to the development. The senior UPA ministers said the resignations were patently insincere and accused JD(U) leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of breaking a cross-party consensus on the issue.

JD(U)'s move, aimed at catering to the growing anger in Bihar against MNS attacks on people from the state, also forced the BJP to review the situation at the meeting of the party's parliamentary board.

But it was Lalu who, incidentally was the first to threaten resignations, appeared most peeved with JD(U)'s populist ploy. The railway minister said that if the Bihar CM was really concerned about the travails of north Indians in Mumbai, he ought to quit his post along with JD(U) MLAs. He said Nitish had gone back on a pledge to work with all other parties from Bihar on the issue of harassment faced by people from the state in Mumbai at the hands of MNS led by Raj Thackeray.

Yet, the RJD boss appeared on the defensive as his MPs and MLAs have submitted their "resignations" to him rather than to presiding officers of the respective legislatures, as required. Having initiated the resignation move in response to JD(U)'s announcement that its MPs would quit, the railway minister is having to answer what he intends to do with the resignations submitted to him.

Paswan pointed out that no significance could be attached to the JD(U)'s move as the current LS had more or less run its course. But he was cagey about whether he and his MPs would follow suit. "I don't believe in this kind of politics. Is Nitish not responsible for conditions that force people to leave Bihar looking for jobs?" he said.

As things stand, resignations of LS MPs, are a low cost option for the CM but is likely to cause disproportionate discomfort to the UPA. Lalu is already out of power in Bihar and quitting LS means sacrificing his Cabinet berth and losing his clout at the Centre. This would also lead to the government losing its majority as RJD has 24 MPs.

Paswan is as annoyed with Lalu as with JD(U) as he feels the RJD leader has needlessly upped the ante for everyone. The dilemma for Paswan is that after having demanded Raj's arrest under NSA, he is now being asked whether his commitment to the Bihari cause will see him offer the resignation of LJP MPs.

Source : Times Of India