Gujral gifts Laloo a breather, till guilt is proved

NEW DELHI, April 30: With Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral stating in the Lok Sabha today that his Government would not spare anyone who h...

NEW DELHI, April 30: With Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral stating in the Lok Sabha today that his Government would not spare anyone who has been “proved guilty”, it is certain that Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav has managed to get a breather until Governor A R Kidwai sanctions prosecution of all those involved in the Rs 950-crore fodder scam.

Laloo’s tantrums in Patna on the one hand and mobilisation of support within the United Front (UF) on the other by pointing out “a deep-rooted conspiracy” theory paid dividends, though temporarily.

He has succeeded in persuading the UF’s leadership not to be swayed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPM) single-point agenda to install former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda as Janata Dal (JD) president by dislodging him, and not to pre-judge the issue of his involvement in the fodder scam.

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The Prime Minister’s resolve that his Government would “be transparent, would resort to no witch-hunting and anyone who had committed any crime and proved guilty would not be spared,” is an indication that nothing would be done to dislodge Laloo immediately.

Gujral’s statement made it clear that he would not drop Chandra Deo Prasad Verma from the Union Council of Minsters for his alleged involvement in the scam immediately. Gujral has decided to buy peace with his party president, so that he is able to consolidate his position within the Government and the Front. His decision to induct S Jaipal Reddy tomorrow and award him with the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) portfolio is an indication that he has started asserting himself.

Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pointed out that it would seek sanction of only Bihar Governor to prosecute Laloo and 55 others involved in the scam. Since Verma was a Bihar Minister at the time of the offence, sanction to prosecute him would fall under the ambit of the State Governor and not the President, they said.

Meanwhile, it was officially stated today by the Front’s spokesman that no meeting of either the Steering Committee or the Standing Committee would be held in the near future to discuss the current political situation. It was also clarified that no meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the JD was held either formally or informally.