New Delhi, July 15: NDA ally Samata Party MPs today threatened that its ministers, including railway minister Nitish Kumar, would resign from the Vajpayee government if there was any change in the decision to set up the zonal headquarters of East Central Railway at Hajipur. The MPs, who met in Parliament House, later conveyed their decision to Kumar and NDA convenor and defence minister George Fernandes. Talking to reporters, party MPs Prabhunath Singh and Arun Kumar said that Fernandes assured them that the decision would not be changed while Kumar told them that he shared their sentiments. The threat comes in the backdrop of the controversial issue being once again referred to the Union Cabinet for a re-look after Trinamool Congress wanted the decision to be stalled.
They warned that in the event of any change in the decision, Samata Party could go to "any extent" and cautioned that the people of Bihar would not tolerate any move to deprive the state of its legitimate right.
Stating that all political parties in Bihar were unanimous on the issue of Hajipur rail zone, they said that if any minister did not abide by the decision of the MPs they would be isolated.
The 12-member party in the Lok Sabha has four ministers and a section of the MPs are unhappy over "excess" representation to a particular caste from Bihar in the Vajpayee government.
Bureau Report