The Hindu : National : Lalu criticises Karnataka move

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Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

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National

Lalu criticises Karnataka move

By Our Special Correspondent

PATNA, AUG. 31 . The Railway Minister and the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Lalu Prasad, today criticised the Karnataka Government's decision to withdraw the cases against the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Uma Bharti, in a 10-year-old case in Hubli relating to rioting and arson. This would only encourage "fissiparous forces" in the country and demoralise the secular forces. He would protest against the action in his own way.

Reacting to the Karnataka developments, Mr. Lalu Prasad said this would prove fatal. No such gesture had been showered on others.

He said he had sought in vain to contact the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, earlier in the day but added that he would take up the matter with her on reaching Delhi on Thursday next. He is also likely to seek a clarification on the Karnataka Government's action.

On the Veer Savarkar controversy, he said, the Petroleum Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, need not apologise as demanded by the Shiv Sena.

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