NEW DELHI, Apr 7:
After the formation of the National Front government in 1989, there was growing unease between the two power centres – Prime Minister VP Singh and his deputy Devi Lal – and as a solution Lalu Prasad Yadav advised Singh to implement the Mandal Commission report, the RJD boss writes in his memoir.
“They (Singh and Lal) routinely issued contradictory statements, imperilling the sustainability of the government…
“I began to worry that the growing unease between VP Singh and Devi Lal could lead to the fall of the National Front government, and in the process could endanger my government in Bihar,” he says.
Yadav then conceived a formula to save the VP Singh regime in August 1990. He sought an appointment with the prime minister and told him that he must take action against Lal or else his government will fall.
“VP Singh had a sharp mind and good political instincts. He replied, ‘Devi Lal ji is a leader of the Jats and the backwards. If I act against him, he might fan out in India, propagating that I am anti-backward and anti-poor.’ I responded, ‘There is a way out. “The Mandal Commission gave its report in 1983, recommending a 27 per cent quota for the backward classes in government jobs. The recommendation is gathering dust in your office. Implement it with immediate effect’,” he said. (PTI)
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