Tamil Nadu   

Congressmen protest

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 19. Congressmen throughout the State staged demonstrations and observed fasts today urging the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to reconsider her decision of not accepting the Prime Minister post.

In some places agitated cadres burnt effigies of the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, Sushma Swaraj and Uma Bharti.

At an emergency meeting of party leaders and workers at the State headquarters, Satyamurthi Bhawan, a resolution was adopted requesting Mrs. Gandhi to reconsider her decision.

The meeting stressed that only under her leadership the secular fabric of the country could be strengthened. The party MLA, S.G.Vinayagamurthi, presided.

Hundreds of workers who gathered at the party headquarters here staged demonstrations expressing their support to Mrs.Gandhi.

The former Congress MP and a senior leader of the party, R.Anbarasu, has threatened to commit self-immolation if Mrs.Gandhi did not reconsider her decision.

In a letter to Mrs.Gandhi, a copy of which was released to the press here, Mr.Anbarasu said Mrs.Gandhi refusal would inflict untold injury to partymen and millions of people who voted her to become the PM.

At Tiruttani, about 40 party workers squatted in front a suburban train from Chennai and shouted slogans in support of Mrs.Gandhi. The agitators dispersed after some time.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which earlier planned to organise an agitation protesting against Mrs.Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister, withdrew it in view of the developments in the Congress.

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