No ground to sack Bihar govt: Gupta

Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the Bihar government could not be dismissed merely because of the Central Bureau of Investigation's chargesheet against former chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.

Intervening in the debate on a motion moved by leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the home minister said the governor had not sent any report seeking the Centre's intervention.

Moreover, the Centre was against invoking Article 356, he said.

The home minister said that the ''drama'' reflects poorly on the country which is preparing to celebrate the fiftieth year of independence. It is ''utterly distressing'' the way things are moving, the home minister said.

The home minister said the events that followed Laloo Yadav's resignation took everybody by surprise, though nothing unconstitutional had happened.

''This country had suffered due to dynasty rule and we have witnessed this kind of things earlier also,'' Gupta remarked.

Vajpayee said that an impartial investigation into the fodder scam was not possible due to the recent developments.

Replying to the marathon debate in the House on his adjournment motion which was converted into a motion under rule 184, Vajpayee said an attitude of helplessness should not be reflected from any word or deed of the prime minister or the home minister as it would result in negative results countrywide.

Vajpayee's motion was later defeated by a voice vote.

Vajpayee refused to be convinced that all options had been exhausted and said that the central government can always find ways and means to intervene.

He said, ''We cannot absolve ourselves merely by expressing concern. The people expect much more from the government.''

The BJP leader also had a dig at the Congress for extending support to the Rabri Devi government during the vote of confidence in the state assembly on Monday.

When several BJP members said that the prime minister would call it a family affair, I K Gujral said he had not described it as a family affair either in jest or seriously.

UNI