J'khand Cong chief defends Koda

Jamshedpur, Mar 5 (UNI) Within hours of two senior party MPs' flaying the Madhu Koda-led UPA government on the law and order situation and demanding President's rule in Jharkhand, state Congress president Pradeep Balmuchu today said the present crisis was the outcome of misuse of funds by the previous Arjun Munda-led NDA government.

Reacting to the killing of JMM general secretary and Jamshedpur MP Sunil Mahto along with three others by Maoist naxalites yesterday, Mr Balmuchu said the NDA government did not utilise the funds meant for the poor.

Earlier, Congress MP from Godda Furkan Ansari demanded President's rule while his counterpart from Dhanbad Dadai Dubey criticised Mr Koda on the law and order front.

The MPs were of the view that the deterioration of law and order was the result of Mr Koda's funds 'mismanagement' leading to frustration among the masses, particulalrly the youth.

The Chief Minister, when asked to comment on his allies' demand, said he was not aware of such demands.

However, the state Congress president refused to toe the line of his party colleagues, saying it was not a law and order situation and termed it as a socio-economic problem.

Mr Balmuchu said the poor, during the NDA government, were denied their rights leading to the crisis.

UNI