The Hindu : Front Page : Lalu Prasad cancels rally

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004

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Front Page

Lalu Prasad cancels rally

By Our Special Correspondent

RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad announcing the cancellation of the proposed rally of the party, which was scheduled for December 23, at a press conference in Patna on Tuesday. — Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

PATNA, DEC. 21. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, today called off his planned rally for December 23, in an apparent bid to avoid a confrontation with the Election Commission which has threatened to derecognise his party for "violation" of the model code of conduct.

Mr. Prasad told the Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, that he had no intention of embarrassing the Commission by going ahead with the rally. He claimed that the Opposition parties, which were perturbed by the support that his party had built up for the rally, had launched a "misinformation campaign."

He said that he would respond to the E.C. show-cause before the deadline on December 24. The notice was issued on Tuesday in the light of allegations that Mr. Prasad had distributed money to villagers. The E.C. had lodged a First Information Report with the police in this regard.

The RJD chief held a meeting with the party functionaries before announcing his decision at a press conference, much before the arrival of the two-member E.C. team assigned to keep a tab on the RJD rally. The Commission had debarred the Railways from providing 18 special trains, which the RJD had arranged for. It also warned against any misuse of government machinery.

Mr. Lalu Prasad maintained that the E.C. had not sought to put any pressure on him on this score and that he had cancelled the rally to defeat the "nefarious designs of the BJP and the NDA." He would now hold a Vijay Utsav (victory) rally after the elections on February 28.

To visit villages

Instead of the rally, party workers would fan out into the villages on December 23 to convey the party's solidarity with farmers and landless labour. Mr. Prasad said he would visit the villages and "expose" the NDA's efforts to win the elections through "fraud and deceit."

He said he had no complaints against the E.C. in dismantling hoardings and, as a matter of fact, maintained that he would cooperate with it as he had respect for all the constitutional institutions. He hoped that the E.C. would deploy adequate paramilitary forces for a free and fair election.

Mr. Prasad's decision to call off the rally has apparently angered his supporters who took out various forms of processions here and trooped into his residence to protest. They were, however, peaceful.

Mr. Prasad's decision brought to a standstill the massive preparations under way for a public meeting and the rallyists, in particular, for whom recreational facilities had been set in place — huge tents, public kitchens and night-long entertainment.

The district administration has been working round-the-clock pulling down the huge roadside hoardings on thoroughfares leading to the Gandhi Maidan. Officials say that it would take at least a couple of days to clear the roads of all the RJD's hoardings, posters, banners and welcome arches here.

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