The Hindu : Front Page : Buta Singh quits as Governor

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Friday, Jan 27, 2006

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Front Page

Buta Singh quits as Governor

K. Balchand

PATNA: Bihar Governor Buta Singh sent in his resignation to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Thursday after hoisting the national flag and taking the salute at the Republic Day parade here.

This follows the Supreme Court's strictures against him on the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly.

Mr. Singh said the Supreme Court had done "great injustice" to him. He said he would knock at its door to tell his side of the story and seek a review of its ruling. He said he resigned because he respected the court and its judges.

At a press conference here, Mr. Singh sought to justify his actions on the two counts that the apex court had indicted him — that his report was wrong and that he had mislead the Centre; that he had not entertained any claim for forming a government.

In his first report to the Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 27 last year, he detailed the "horse-trading activity" under way in the State. In his second report on May 21, he appended all the press clippings, and informed the President of the manner in which legislators were herded away in "armed cars."

Mr. Singh said the party resolution sent to him informing him of a split contained 13 to 14 signatures by one person. "How can you accept, by any standards, a party resolution which had been signed by one single person? I had fully documented horse-trading and had attached the false resolution that aimed to split a party. What more proof do you want?"

As for not allowing the formation of a government, Mr. Singh asked: "Did anyone come to me to stake claim to form a government? Did anyone come to the Raj Bhavan and say: `I am coming with the numbers'? Nobody came to me or paraded their strength before the Raj Bhavan or in Patna."

Mr. Singh said as there was no claim to form a government, he could not be held guilty. He denied he acted in a hurry. He described as "baseless" the allegation that pressure had been brought on him to resign.

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