JD(U) demands dismissal of ministers from Bihar in Union Cabinet

Patna, Feb 6 (UNI) The Janata Dal(United) today demanded immediate dismissal of ministers in the Union Cabinet from Bihar for acting in violation of laws pertaining to the country's federal structure and said the Prime Minister should resign in case he failed to control their conduct.

Bihar JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh and party MP Prabhunath Singh told newspersons here that the 'Vikas March' taken out by the Union Ministers from Bihar was a ''political gimmick'' and demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dismiss them from the cabinet for their ''irrepsonsible'' act.

''Such marches are not allowed in the federal structure and the ministers involved in the padyatras in the name of development of the state were acting irresponsibly,'' they said and urged Dr Singh to ''either control their conduct, dismiss them or relinquish his post.'' They asked the Union Ministers from Bihar to discuss with the state government measures to remove the stumbling blocks in the way of state's development instead of ''misleading the people'' in the name of development marches.

They termed the Vikas March of Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh ''gimmick'', saying that he was one of the ''prominent characters of the political drama directed and produced by Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad''.

They also announced to raise the matter in the next session of Parliament and added that before this a party delegation would call on the Prime Minister soon.

They said instead of striving for development of Bihar the Union Ministers were trying to drive political mileage.

They lambasted Mr Singh saying that the construction of roads under the Prime Minister's Rural Road Scheme was the ''direct responsibility'' of the Minister who should explain about the roads constructed during the past three years in the state.

UNI