Monday, May 23 2005 14:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan today (May 23, 2005) blamed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Laloo Prasad for the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly, saying the Railway Minister had "rejected" all his proposals to form a secular Government in the State, headed by a member of the minority community.

"Who is responsible for the dissolution of the State Assembly? He (Laloo) himself wanted it. The Railway Minister was feeling very uneasy out of power... He had rejected all my proposals to form a Government, including a Chief Ministerial candidate from RJD, belonging to minority community," Paswan told reporters in New Delhi.

Accusing Laloo and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), besides its allies of "breaking" his party, Paswan said, "They played a dirty game in getting the House dissolved after the President's rule."

He alleged that BJP and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had "infiltrated" persons into his party to contest Assembly polls and they have deserted him. "Now the day elections are held, electorate will give a befitting reply to them (those who joined LJP just before the polls and later deserted the party)," he added.

Accusing Laloo of rejecting his proposals to allow a Muslim and someone outside his family to be the State's Chief Minister, Paswan said Laloo was not prepared to make any sacrifice in this regard.

To a question whether he welcomed the dissolution of the State Assembly, Paswan said the Union Cabinet decision is "collective and unanimous. We may differ within the Cabinet, but the decision is collective".

To another question, he said, "I don't think I have deceived."

Paswan said he had suggested having a Muslim candidate from Congress to head the Government. Even this was not acceptable to Laloo who is a coalition partner in the Congress-led Government at the Centre, he said.

RJD should have supported a Congress-led minority Government just as Congress had done in the case of Chandrashekhar, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujaral Government at the Centre.

"I had even suggested the name of Jabir Hussain, as a candidate from RJD to head the Government. I had conveyed my views to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, as also Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Harikesh Bahadur," Paswan said adding he had favoured a secular Government instead of dissolution of the House.

Paswan said if the RJD was not in a position to form a Government under a Muslim Chief Minister from the party, Laloo should have asked the Congress to name a candidate.

About his next move, Paswan said he would convene a meeting of the National Executive of his party to ascertain its views and will tour Bihar extensively to consolidate dalit Muslim vote bank.

The LJP chief said he would raise the issue of Muslim Chief Minister and ask the people as to "who was responsible for opposing the proposal".