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The Rediff Interview/Hannan Mollah

'The BJP's move smacks of political vendetta against the RJD government'

T he Communist Party of India-Marxist has recently faced considerable flak on the issue of supporting the Rashtriya Janata Dal government in Bihar where Chief Minister Rabri Devi's administration is being criticised on several grounds. The CPI-M's critics point out that while ostensibly criticising the law and order situation in the state, the party has had no qualms in opposing the imposition of President's rule in Bihar. In this interview with Tara Shankar Sahay, party MP Hannan Mollah tries to explain the apparent contradiction in the CPI-M's stand on Bihar.

There seems to be utter confusion over your party's stand on Bihar. On one hand, your party's Bihar unit has criticised and opposed the Rabri Devi government's handling of law and order, while on the other hand it has supported RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav's opposition to President's rule. What exactly is your position?

There is no confusion. My party has opposed the handling of the law and order situation in Bihar by the state government for cogent reasons, of which there are quite a few. My party feels the state government has failed to take relevant measures to suppress crime and criminal activities. That is why our Bihar state unit has criticised the law and order situation there.

But my party is against clamping President's rule in Bihar or any other state for unconvincing reasons as the Vajpayee government's recent move in this direction has shown. We think the invoking of Article 356 on flimsy pretexts destroys its spirit.

But by your party's fluctuating stand on Bihar, are you not opening yourself to criticism that despite the ground realities in Bihar, you are trying to help the RJD government against the BJP?

No, we are very clear in our mind about Bihar. We feel that while the Rabri Devi government can do much more to improve the law and order situation in the state, we do not want the imposition of President's rule just because the communal BJP and some of its allies want it.

The spurt in crime in Bihar under Rabri Devi appears to have rekindled the demand by the BJP and the Samata Party that President's rule be imposed there. The rape of minor girls in Bihar recently is a case in point. Could you explain your stand on this?

Look, we are not trying to protect any sort of crime by criminals. If a rape has been committed, by all means that rapist should be apprehended and punished according to the enormity of his crime. But at the same time we do not want a mockery of the Constitution to be made by the reckless use of Article 356. In fact, the law and order situation in Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, all BJP-ruled states, is worse than that of Bihar. Even a central government report has brought out this fact very clearly. But the Vajpayee government does not want to impose President's rule in these states. It only wants it imposed in Bihar, and this smacks of political vendetta against the RJD government.

What do you think of the criticism by some constituents of the Left Front that the CPI-M should desist from having an electoral alliance with the Congress?

I can only say at this juncture that the Left Front leadership will take the suggestions of all its constituents into consideration before any crucial decision is taken.

Your party's recent 16th congress could only conceptualise the Third Front and scarcely progressed further. What do you think are the reasons?

The arguments and counter-arguments of the delegates to the CPI-M's recent congress were heard and considered by the leadership. So you cannot say that we did not make any progress. The deliberations brought out many crucial things which, I am sure, will be weighed and considered when the opportunity is ripe regarding the formation of a Third Front.

In the present political scenario, the Rashtiya Loktantrik Morcha seems to have gained prominence. What is your party's stand on the RLM?

Our party has noted the merits and demerits of the United Front government, so before we are involved in any move for forming a Third Front, the pros and cons of doing so will have to be carefully weighed.

Although a section of your party leadership favours supporting a Congress-led government at the Centre, others are vehemently opposed to it. What is the position now?

Ours is a democratic party so we freely exchange viewpoints. This point is still being debated and the media will get to know our decisions regarding the electoral alliance with the Congress as and when they are finalised.

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