No thaw in Speaker-Home Minister stand-off, Babulal demands inquiry

Ranchi, Jul 6 (UNI) Adding fuel to the ongoing controversy involving Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari's criticism of state Home Minister Sudesh Mahto, former chief minister Babulal Marandi today said the speaker's allegation was not new one for he had already said about it a week back.

As the controversy refused to die down, the stand-off was likely trun into a crisis creating a platform for a new equation in the government formation.

Mr Marandi, now preparing to float a new political outfit after his resignation from BJP's primary membership last month, asserted that there had been misuse of power either by the Home Minister or the police were not performing their duty leading to deterioration of law and order situation.

The outburst from the Speaker, a JD(U) Legislator from Daltonganj constituency, might snowball into a major political crisis as the BJP-led government had a thin majority in the House of 82, including a nominated member.

The BJP with 30 MLAs is runing the government with another five Legislators from JD(U) and five Independents.

Mr Namdhari yesterday got the support of his party as two mlas who were also ministers in the government said they would rally behind the speaker in the crisis.

Chief Minister Arjun Munda (BJP) was under tremendous pressure following the JD(U)'s open revolt against the home minister who was equally important component in the government being an Independent mla from the group of five.

The speaker on July four had made a public allegation at Chenpur in Jharkhand's Palamu district that the home minister was protecting criminals.

On the other hand, Mr Marandi, former BJP national vice-president had already launched a tirade against the present Arjun Munda-led NDA government following his differences with BJP.

When he was asked to react to Mr Namdhari's allegation, the former chief minister at a press conference here said an inquiry should be carried out and if Mr Mahto was found guilty, he shoud quit or be sacked.

Asked if he was supporting only mr namdhari, Mr Marandi shot back saying he had talked about misrule and deteriorating law and order situation in Palamu about a week ago.

Now there was no freshness in Mr Namdhari's allegation except for the matter that the issue had been raised by none other than the speaker.

In another important development, five of the seven RJD MLAs in the state were understood to have favoured joining the NDA government, which the political observers felt that it might compensate the vacuum in case of either the JD(U) or five Independents withdrew support in the wake of Namdhari-Sudesh brawl.

UNI PRS SJC RN1809