Kumar, who was speaking to the Press here this afternoon, justified the Union Cabinet's decision to propose the imposition of Article 356 in Bihar. He said the Patna High Court observation, ``People in Bihar are living like animals even as the criminals are moving about and operating with liberty,'' should ``enlighten the CPI (M) and the Congress.''

Kumar was here to distribute prizes on the concluding day of the 64th Inter-Railway Athletic Meet today.

He said the Union Cabinet had not decided to take up the issue of sending back the proposal of imposition of Article 356 to the President. ``It's an important issue for which the Cabinet has to take a collective decision,'' he added.

He said, however, that the Samata Party planned ``tofight the Rabri Devi Government politically.'' He said the Congress, which had ``created history by misusing Article 356 over 90 times in the past'', had opposed the Union Cabinet's proposal for ``short-term political gains at the cost of Bihar and its people.'' By opposing President's Rule in Bihar, the CPI (M) and Congress had exposed their anti-people role, the minister said.

On whether his party would ask for more berths in the forthcoming Cabinet expansion, he said, ``It is the Prime Minister's prerogative.''

Earlier, asked if the Centre had any plans to felicitate Amartya Sen on his being awarded the Nobel Prize, he said, ``We are all proud of him, but I do not know about any such plans.''