Left Angry, Says Ministers Should Be Dropped From Cabinet

The Left parties yesterday adopted a strident posture, and ruled out the possibility of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) continuing in the United Front. They also demanded that the three Union ministers owing allegiance to the RJD be dropped from the I K Gujral ministry forthwith.

Addressing newsmen after a meeting of the four Left parties, CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet said: On certain matters, there cannot be any compromise. And corruption is one such issue. In no way should Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav be allowed to continue after he has been chargesheeted.

When told that Gujral had no objection to the RJD continuing in the Front, CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said that it was not the prerogative of the Prime Minister to decide whether any party should be allowed in the Front or not.

Left leaders are putting pressure on Gujral to drop the three Union ministers, and have been lobbying within the Front in support of their stand. Surjeet held discussions with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Janata Dal president Sharad Yadav. Surjeet also met Front convenor N Chandrababu Naidu.

The core group of the Front is likely to meet soon to take a decision on whether three ministers should be allowed to continue or not, Surjeet, who returned from abroad early yesterday morning, said.

Bardhan added that in a coalition like the United Front, while the continuation or inclusion of any minister was the Prime Ministers prerogative, the leader of the party to which a minister belongs also has a say.

In the case of the three ministers, they were in Janata Dal when they joined the ministry.

Surjeet said that by splitting the Janata Dal Laloo Prasad Yadav had tried to disrupt the unity of the Front, and as such the RJD cannot be included in the coalition.

Left leaders called upon Janata Dal leaders to go to Bihar and muster support in their favour. The Left parties have already planned many agitations for the ouster of Laloo Yadav. Janata Dal leaders should also visit the state and mobilise anti-Laloo Yadav forces. Sitting in Delhi and holding press conferences will not do any good to the cause, one senior Left leader said.