Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Since the Bihar assembly elections, the BJP-led alliance and the Vajpayee government has been making all efforts to ensure that the RJD-led alliance does not form the government in Bihar. Despite the clear verdict given by the people, the Governor shamefully called the NDA to form the government after swearing in Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister. When this maneouvre failed, during the one-week tenure of Nitish Kumar, the Governor gave sanction for the prosecution of Shri Laloo Yadav and Smt. Rabri Devi in the disproportionate assets case. After the Rabri Devi government established its majority in the assembly, the latest step to destabilise the government has been taken with the CBI filing a chargesheet against the Chief Minister in the court.
The above circumstances in which the case has been filed against the Chief Minister, implicating her alongwith Shri Laloo Yadav, makes the move highly suspect and motivated.
If the norm that those holding public office should step down if chargesheeted should be observed, then that principle has been violated and continues to be defied by the BJP leadership and the Vajpayee government. Shri L.K. Advani, the Union Home Minister and Shri Murli Manohar Joshi, the HRD minister have both been chargesheeted by the CBI in a special court in Lucknow for their involvement in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. This is a criminal case which is now before the court. Both these union ministers will have to step down if the norm has to be applied equally to all.