PATNA, June 8: Dissident Janata Dal leaders and the four sacked ministers today accused Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav of making the party ``defunct'' and trying to come in the way of the democratic electoral process of the party.

Addressing newspersons at the residence of State Jail Minister Pasupati Kumar Paras, who resigned from the State Cabinet yesterday, the ministers declared that they would retire from active politics, if they were found to have misused government funds during their tenure as alleged by the chief minister after a probe either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any sitting High Court judge.

The leaders reiterated that they would spare no pains to revive the party, which had of late turned into an ``individualistic'' party rather than a party of the dedicated workers. The leaders, numbering more than 15, announced that the decision for changing the leadership in the State would be taken at the legislator party meeting to be called after the conclusion of the party's presidential polls.

The leaders, who addressed the conference, included sacked ministers Ramjivan Singh, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Magni Lal Mandal, Ramai Ram, Jail Minister Pasupati Kumar Paras, Gautam Sagar Rana, Tanvir Hassan (both MLC), Punit Rai (MLA) and hosts of other dissident Dal legislators and senior leaders.

Magni Lal Mandal said they would not kowtow to any pressure and would fight for reviving democracy in the party. He claimed that democracy in the country could only strengthen, when democratic system in all the political parties was maintained.

Terming as ``false'' the charge levelled by the Bihar chief minister for the dismissal of four ministers, Mandal said in democratic set-up, the party leaders were free to support any candidate according to their liking for which they could not be charged with indulging in party activities, while none could prove that they had ever misused the government funds.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.