Different allies resort to 'threat tactics' in a show of strength

Ranchi, July 7 (UNI) Resorting to threat tactics to show their respective importance in the NDA government in Jharkhand, two separate allies--the JD(U) and a group of five Independent MLAs known as G-5--today threatened to reconsider their continuance in the government over the issue of Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari's recent statement against state Home Minister Sudesh Mahto.

The brawl involving the Speaker, one of six the JD(U) members and Home Minister belonging to G-5 continued to spring new political statements from different parties with Opposition CPI (ML) also demanding a special session to erase public confusion triggered by the crisis.

Giving a new twist to the whole drama, a senior leader from the state JD (U) requested the leadership to withdraw from the government and support it from outside.

Simultaneously, the G-5 also held an emergency meeting to discuss the matter and later at a press confernece echoed what the JD(U) uttered.

The G-5 did not rule out joing the Opposition UPA in case Chief Minister did not take the initiative to tackle the Namdhari-issue.

The G-5--Mr Madhu Kora, Mr Enos Ekka, Mr Chandra Prakash Chaudhuri and Mr Sudesh Mahto, the Home Minister held a press conference. Other member Mr Harinarayan Rai was out of station.

Taking strong exception to the allegation levelled by Mr Namdhari that Mr Mahto was protecting criminals, Mr Koda said the Speaker being a JD(U) MLA should not indulge in mud-slinging which was against coalition ethics.

Mr Koda said when the BJP-led NDA was formed, ''We all took pledge to work unitedly and for the welfare of the state...Now there seems to be no co-herence among coalition partners. In such an atmosphere we can not do justice to the people's needs.'' He said the JD (U) had been trying to malign many political leaders in the NDA but the Namdhari-one was most unfortuante.

''We will talk to the Chief Minister and ask him to streamline it.

The Chief Minister is now out of the state and tentatively by Sunday we will talk,'' he said.

Asked if they would go to the Opposition UPA after withdrawal, he did not specify only saying the option would be kept open.

In his reaction, the Home Minister said if Mr Namdhari wanted to bring change to the police set-up, ''I am ready to accept.'' In Daltonganj, state JD (U) vice-president Vinod Narayan Dixit today regretted the Home Minister's supporters yesterday symbolically took out a funeral procession of Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari in the state.

Mr Dixit charged that the Chief Minister was supporting Mr Mahto silently and urged the party leadership to reconsider its decision if it would continue with the government after such humiliation.

The Home Minister, after two days of silence, hit back saying the Speaker was eyeing the chief minister's chair.

Mr Namdhari in 2003 had tried to stage a coup, in which Mr Babulal Marandi was dethroned, and now he was trying to create an atmosphere so that the Arjun Munda government fell.

In Ranchi yesterday, the all Jharkhand's Students Union (AJSU), took out symbolic funeral processions and burnt effigies of the speaker.

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