Saturday, July 30 2005 19:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Bihar Congress President Sadanad Singh today (July 30, 2005) admitted that Governor Buta Singh's controversial order transferring 17 IPS officers, who prompted the state's Chief Secretary to proceed on a long leave, might hurt the Congress in the poll-bound state.

''President's Rule is for all practical purposes the rule of the Center. Since the Congress is a constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the party will have to face the good and bad consequences of the actions taken by the Governor,'' Singh told reporters while replying to a query as to whether the controversy would have an adverse effect on the party's prospects in the upcoming polls.

He said that the controversy over the transfers was neither beneficial for the administration nor the state.

In a major reshuffle in the police set-up on Thursday night, the Governor had shifted 17 IPS officers, including the superintendent of police of Siwan, Ratn Sanjay, who was at loggerheads with controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Md Shahabuddin.

Apparently peeved at these transfers, Chief Secretary G S Kang had yesterday proceeded on a long leave.

While defending the transfers who, he claimed, were made keeping in mind administrative exigencies, Buta Singh had ruled out any 'rethink' on it saying the decision was 'final'.