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The Rediff Interview/ Raghuvansh Prasad Singh

'Nobody can afford to destabilise the Rabri Devi government'

Union Home Minister Lal Kishinchand Advani's meeting with President K R Narayanan on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhavan has triggered speculation that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition at the Centre was contemplating President's rule again in Bihar.

This time, as reports have suggested, the home minister has approached the President with the contention that Bihar Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari has sought central protection following alleged threats by Rashtriya Janata Dal politicians.

However, RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh refutes the allegations. In an exclusive interview to Tara Shankar Sahay, Singh says it is the saffron party's latest ploy.

How do you explain the Bihar governor's latest charge against your party colleagues?

(laughs) Bhandariji ka koi jawaha nabi (Bhandari has no peers). He will go to any extent to fulfil his ambition of having central rule in Bihar.

After all, Narayanan delivered a stinging slap on Bhandari and his party's face by sending back for reconsideration the Union Cabinet's recommendation for dismissing the Rabri Devi government.

But as you can see the BJP has nor regard for democratic norms and conventions. Advani and company have again approached Narayanan with the ridiculous plea that Bhandari has been threatened in Patna.

Does the BJP take us to be fools that we will jeopardise our government in Bihar? Can anybody in his right mind threaten, of all the people, the state governor?

I think the BJP better come up with a more plausible excuse.

So what you are saying is that Bhandari's allegation is untrue?

(laughs) Do you have any doubts? What seems to be paining the BJP leaders is that the Rabri Devi government has proved its majority on the floor of the state assembly.

We have convinced the President that the BJP's allegations against us are false and that there is no law and order problem in Bihar.

The President has apparently agreed with what we have said. So, you see, the BJP has been beaten in its own game.

Therefore, it has again taken recourse to trumped up charges against us and demanded the protection of central forces for the governor. At least that is what the media reports say. But I can assure you that all this is another ploy by the BJP.

The Bihar governor's allegation is very serious. Obviously, you appear to be on the defensive again?

Dekhiye, mamla kahan tak jayega yeh to main nahi kah sakta hoon (Look, I don't know where the problem would lead to).

But I am sure of one thing. Bihar has no law and order problem. There is no question of the RJD leaders threatening the state governor.

Our party president Laloo Prasad Yadav has said this several times. Despite being hemmed in from all sides by the BJP and the Samata Party, Lalooji is one leader who has taken up the BJP's challenge.

Therefore, nobody can afford to destabilise the Rabri Devi government.

The Rediff Interviews