Saturday, July 30 2005 15:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhagalpur (Bihar): The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today (July 30, 2005) termed the Bihar Governor Buta Singh's decision to transfer seventeen IPS officers, which prompted the State Chief Secretary to proceed on long leave as arbitrary and demanded the immediate recall of the Governor.

"The haste with which the Governor transferred the officers shows that transfers were made at the behest of others to please a particular political party. We strongly condemn the action and seek his immediate recall," Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar told reporters here.

"It is strange that even the Chief Secretary, the top-most bureaucrat in the state, was not taken into confidence while affecting the transfers," he said.

Kumar accused Singh of running the state in cahoots with Lalu Prasad. "They are together pushing Bihar down the path of ruin. President's Rule has become an extension of the Lalu-Rabri regime," he said.

Seventeen IPS officers, including Siwan SP Ratn Sanjay, were transferred late Thursday (July 28, 2005) night, triggering a virtual revolt by the state Chief Secretary G S Kang, who proceeded on long leave yesterday (July 29, 2005).

Kang was believed to be anguished over the posting of some IPS officers with poor track record to key posts.

Ratn Sanjay, known as a no-nonsense officer, along with Siwan district magistrate S K Mall and his predecessor C K Anil, had taken strong actions against controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Shahabuddin and raided his properties, inviting the wrath of RJD leaders who had been since then demanding the SP's removal.