Laloo irked at EC ban on hospital

PATNA: RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav has expressed his frustration over the ban imposed by the Election Commission on the laying of the foundation stone for a AIIMS-type hospital in Phulwarisharif on the ground of model code of conduct having come into effect following the forthcoming bypolls for three assembly seats.
"The Election Commission took an obstinate posture on the issue and it was unjustified," he told newsmen on Saturday."How could the laying of the foundation stone for the hospital influence election results?," he asked.
He said that the hospital was to be named after the late Loknayak Jaya Prakash Narayan. "JP had a kidney problem and had to undergo regular dialysis. Bihar does not have dialysis facility even today. It would have been a fitting tribute to JP in his birth centenary year," he remarked.
Laloo stressed that no political party, including BJP and Samata Party, had objected to foundation stone laying by vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
"The Centre, including Union health minister Sushma Swaraj, the state government and the office of the vice-president requested the Election Commission to allow the laying of foundation stone ceromony. However, the EC turned down the request, he remarked, stressing that construction of the hospital might be delayed by two months.
The RJD chief claimed that he and his government were trying to fulfill the dreams of the late Loknayak in empowering the deprived masses. He said that he had given Rs 25 lakh from his MP fund for projects in Sitab Diara -- the native village of JP.