New Delhi, Nov. 21 : An article appearing in “The Other Side”, a journal of socialist thought and action, has warned that faking political resignations could fan a form of regionalism that could irreversibly damage the democratic fabric of the country.

It describes such attempted steps taken by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and lawmakers of the Janata Dal (United) in response to the attack on North Indians and Biharis by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) as nothing but a case of “political one-upmanship”.

The article says that what is sad about the whole episode is the fact that former Defense Minister George Fernandes was forced to be party to resignation episode, when he may not have wanted to be.

“George Fernandes – has been dragged down from being a national and international integrator to a regional party worker. The role does not suit him, but he has subjected himself to party discipline,” the article says.

It also charges the JD (U) with trying to “be clever by half” by putting pressure on Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to resign in an attempt to topple the UPA Government.

“The JD (U) resignations do not make an iota of difference to the UPA, just as the RJD resignations of assembly members in Bihar do not make an iota of a difference to the Nitish Kumar Government,” says the article.

It concludes by saying that MNS chief Raj Thackeray has been left “comfortably untouched” by this fake resignation drama. (ANI)