Fernandes' followers questions Bihar CM's statement

New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Expelled Janata Dal (United) General Secretary Shivkumar, a camp follower of NDA convenor George Fernandes, today took exception to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's statement in Bihar that he could not help if the former Defence Minister would commit a political harakiri by ''consuming poison''.

Mr Shivkumar, said the chief minister had made the former Defence Minister ''drink enough poison for the last 15 years of association'' so there was no further need to consume any more poison.

Mr Shivkumar who was expelled from the J D (U) after he took part in the meeting that revived Samata Party in Delhi said his expulsion only highlighted that there was no internal democracy in the party.

The party does not deem it fit to issue even a show cause notice to a duly and democratically elected state unit chiefs of Gujarat and Uttarakhand, Mr Kumar said.

On his own expulsion he remarked "Where is the need to expel me when I have the left for my home -- ''revive Samata Party''.

UNI