Friday, March 11 2005 14:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Under attack from Left parties and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led Opposition in Parliament, Government today (Mar 11, 2005) distanced itself from the developments in Jharkhand saying there was no question of its intervention in the State.

"Constitution clearly earmarks jurisdiction of State Legislature and Parliament...Expression of confidence or no confidence is the exclusive jurisdiction of members of the State Assembly...We want the decision should be taken on the floor of the Jharkhand Assembly," Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said intervening in an impromptu debate in Lok Sabha.

Left parties expressed concern over the developments in the State with CPI (Communist Party of India) leader Gurudas Dasgupta saying Shibu Soren should not have been allowed to form Government.

Dasgupta as also Rupchand Pal of the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) said tinkering with democracy was a matter of concern. They also accused the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) "kidnapping" BJP and independent MLAs of Jharkhand to Rajasthan.

Asserting that the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and the Union Government have nothing to do with developments taking place in Jharkhand, he said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and others have made it quite clear that what was happening there was a matter of the State.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh appealed to the Centre to intervene saying the Assembly was being repeatedly adjourned today, the day of the floor test as directed by the Supreme Court.