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The Rediff Interview/Nitish Kumar

'If the Left is opposing President's rule in Bihar, it is because they are keeping in mind long-term ties with the RJD'

Senior Samata Party leader and Railway Minister Nitish Kumar has reiterated his party's resolve to have President's rule imposed in his home state of Bihar.

The state, he claims, is on the brink of ruin, thanks to the erstwhile rule of Laloo Prasad Yadav and now of his wife Rabri Devi, both of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

He staunchly refutes the charge that as Laloo's Yadav's former party colleague in the Janata Dal, he too contributed to the state of affairs for which Bihar has gained so much infamy. An excerpt from his interview with Tara Shankar Sahay.

Your demand for Presidents' rule in Bihar sounds like the devil quoting the scriptures. Do you think the people have forgotten how, along with Laloo Yadav in the Janata Dal, you had hailed his rule as the answer to social justice and the redressal of the people's grievances? Have you forgotten that your demand seeks the dislodging of the RJD government in Bihar after you have parted company with Laloo Yadav?

Wyang karne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai (you need not be sarcastic). When Laloo was turning despotic, I was the first to raise my voice against him. It is true that Laloo and I were party colleagues in the Janata Dal but it is a matter of history how the Samata Party was born because of our disillusionment with Laloo. I had also raised my voice that goondaism and utter hooliganism had risen sharply under Laloo's leadership. Keeping all these things in mind, we broke away to form the Samata Party. So your sarcasm against me is misplaced.

I had covered the assembly elections in Bihar during 1990 and I remember that you and Laloo Yadav were responsible for distributing the majority of the Janata Dal tickets to criminals and anti-social elements. Now kindly comment.

I deny it. The JD candidates in Bihar had been given tickets because of their determination to fight the upper caste candidates belonging to the Congress and other parties. Canards had been spread against them, because of their determination to stand up to the upper caste candidates, that they were criminals and anti-social elements.

Barring the BJP and the Janata Party, the other parties are opposing Presidents' rule in Bihar. How do you explain this?

The Samata Party and the BJP have borne the brunt of the RJD government's atrocities under Laloo and now Rabri Devi. Everybody knows that Laloo is the real power behind Rabri and he does not want anybody to challenge him politically. That's why we parted company.

You will recall that during the Lok Sabha election four months ago, the RJD thugs had unleashed a reign of terror, beating up opposing candidates and resorting to murder and mayhem. If the CPI-M and other Left parties are opposing President's rule in Bihar, it is because they are keeping in mind long-term ties with the RJD. Despite the murder of the CPI-M leader in Purnea recently, the party is against the imposition of Article 356 in Bihar. So you can see the reasons.

Whatever may be Laloo Yadav's weaknesses, he certainly seems to enjoy the people's support in Bihar. That's why he was in power for 10 years. Do you think the BJP and the Samata Party will gain from the possible dismissal of the Rabri Devi government?

The ground situation in Bihar, under Laloo and now Rabri, has changed That's why the Samata Party got 10 seats in the general polls. The other parties would have got more seats but Laloo's goondas prevented that. Laloo went about issuing threats that he would defeat so and so candidate by a margin of over 500,000 votes. After all, his thugs steal ballot papers and blatantly stamp them before casting them in the ballot box. That's why he is so sure of the margin of his candidate's victory.

In a recent TV interview, Laloo Yadav said he was in constant telephonic touch with you and had requested you to return to his political fold. Are you in touch with Laloo?

( Laughs) Laloo to laloo hai. Bade vichitra kalakar hai, chahe politics mein ho ya chara ghotale mein (Laloo is naive, he is a strange artiste, whether it is politics or the fodder scam).

Yesterday you said you would wait till the Central team gives its report on the law and order situation in Bihar. Any particular reason?

We are a democratic party so naturally we will wait for the Central team's report on Bihar. We will evaluate its finding with our findings and then take our future course of action.

You have said that you have some differences with the BJP including on the temple construction in Ayodhya. If President's rule in Bihar is not imposed, these differences will increase, is it not?

As and when we decide to make our politics public, we will inform journalists.

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