Friday, May 13 2005 08:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Alleging that Railway Minister Laloo Prasad had attacked Election Commissioner B B Tandon as he was afraid of "bold persons" heading the electoral body, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday (May 12, 2005) said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should either "show courage" to dismiss the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief from his Government or "stop issuing empty sermons".

Laloo wants "not only a committed judiciary but also a committed Election Commission," BJP Vice President Sushil Kumar Modi alleged in a statement in New Delhi.

The senior BJP leader from Bihar alleged that Laloo was afraid that if "bold persons" like B B Tandon are made the heads of the Election Commissioner, "it would be difficult for him to win the next election also".

"That is why an aborted conspiracy by blackmailing the Congress party was hatched to remove the present Election Commissioners from their posts," Modi alleged.

Pointing out that the Prime Minister had said the dignity of Election Commissioner should be maintained, he asked, "Will the Prime Minister go on sermonising like this or will he show some courage to take action against his Cabinet colleague, who has been constantly attempting to weaken the constitutional bodies?"

He said the Prime Minister should "either show courage to dismiss his Railway Minister or stop issuing empty sermons".