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AGENCIES
NEW DELHI/PATNA, Sept 21: Political parties went into a flurry of activity in Bihar incited by tomorrow's so-called D-Day, literally set up by the prime minister's statement on Rabri's potential ouster, when state Governor S S Bhandari is slated to meet President K R Narayanan on the issue.
To counter what they termed an ``unconstitutional endgame'', the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha, the CPM and the Rashtriya Janata Dal today crowded to schedule an audience with the President tomorrow.
The Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha in its emergency meeting this evening decided to approach the President to demand recall of Bihar Governor S S Bhandari and to seek his intervention against use of Article 356 in the state. The CPM too will lead a Left delegation to President K R Narayanan tomorrow to desist him from acting on Bhandari's advice.
RLM leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said the Morcha had already sought appointment with the President in this regard. A delegation comprising all the Morcha MPs and other leaders would bemeeting the President after the appointment, he said.
The delegation will seek to enlighten the President not to act on the recommendation of one (Bhandari) who has a reputation of being a ``hardcore RSS activist and pracharak, who was also the vice-president of the BJP''.
Commenting on Vajpayee's position on Bhandari, Mulayam Singh recalled how Vajpayee had gone on when the Kalyan Singh government in UP was dismissed. ``How come he has forgotten all this after becoming the prime minister''. The CPM too demanded President's intervention and accused Vajpayee of `using' the Governor, a senior RSS leader, in this undemocratic game. ``All the political parties have opposed it, yet they are determined to go ahead'' with the imposition of President's rule in Bihar, CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet claimed. Meanwhile, the man playing the crucial part in the drama, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav charged the Bihar Governor with ``dirty politics and violating the Constitution'' andsaid his party's delegation would meet the President K R Narayanan, tomorrow seeking his immediate recall. He said a delegation of his party would meet the president and hand over to him a memorandum seeking immediate recall of Bhandari who was playing an illegal part in what smacks of political vendetta. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee flatly refused to recall the Bihar Governor; and begging to differ on charges that the latter was playing agent for the Centre's interested moves, he said, `Bhandari has not committed any constitutional impropriety by commenting on the issue. There is definitely no plans to recall him.' Vajpayee, in a press statement from Gwalior, pointed out that Bhandari's comment did not amount to a leak in the official Gubernatorial report on Bihar. Noting that Bhandari would meet the President tomorrow, the Prime Minister said that a decision on the demand of the imposition of President's Rule in Bihar will be taken by the Union Cabinet. Constitutionally, the Centre can take adecision on the use of Article 356 without the Governor's report, Vajpayee said, ``But in this case the Governor has given his report.'' Life, meanwhile, in most parts of South Bihar was thrown out of gear during the 12-hour ``Jharkhand bandh'' supported by all Jharkhand parties to protest the ruling RJD's opposition to the creation of a new state for the tribal region while the road and rail blockade called by CPM and backed by RJD against proposed bifurcation of Bihar evoked partial response in northern and central parts. Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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