Sharad Yadav warns of anti-Laloo upsurge in Bihar

CHENNAI, July 27: The newly-elected president of the Janata Dal, Sharad Yadav, on Sunday predicted an upsurge against former Bihar chief mi...

CHENNAI, July 27: The newly-elected president of the Janata Dal, Sharad Yadav, on Sunday predicted an upsurge against former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in his home state.

Addressing a media conference, Sharad Yadav, who had flown to Chennai on Sunday morning to attend a rally commemorating the 95th birth anniversary of Kamaraj, said that the situation in Bihar was bound to change “in a couple of months’ time”.

“Do not underestimate the people of Bihar, which has a glorious history. About 40,000 people had gone to prison as part of the freedom struggle,” he said. Jayalalitha, who had “ruled like a monarch” had been brought down by the people in Tamil Nadu, he pointed out.

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Reiterating that the United Front (UF) will fight against corruption in Bihar, Yadav said that all the constituents in the UF, especially the Janata Dal (JD), had been only too happy when Laloo Yadav tendered his resignation.He said Laloo had shocked the country by making his wife the chief minister, adding, “the situation has not changed because we all know that in India wives do not act against their husbands.”

He said the hopes of the public for a government which would be fair in the conduct of the fodder scam case in the court had been belied by Rabri Devi assuming office.

Stating that the JD had no objections to any other partyman in the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) being made the Bihar chief minister, he said the UF was unanimously against Laloo’s decision.

On the inclusion of the three RJD ministers in the UF cabinet, he remarked, “This was a matter that Prime Minister I K Gujral had to decide. He is a fair man.”

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Diplomatic with regard to queries on Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s stand on the RJD issue, he stated, “I do not want to comment on the issue. He (Karunanidhi) is a senior leader. I have explained everything to him in detail and convinced him. Whatever he has said about RJD is a thing of the past. He is now party to the present decision. I will not speak about this through the media.”

Yadav said that no one could accuse the UF government of corruption and stated that its track record had been impressive. “We have fed the poor and educated the scheduled caste and backward community by setting up residential schools exclusively for them,” he claimed. He said the national executive, to be elected during the national conference slated for August 2 and 3 in Delhi, will take a decision on the party’s stand on the Women’s Reservation Bill.