The Hindu : National : BJP seeks dismissal of DMK government

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 02, 2007
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National

BJP seeks dismissal of DMK government

Sujay Mehdudia

Remove T.R. Baalu from Cabinet: Rajnath

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday demanded the dismissal of the Tamil Nadu government in the wake of “strong observations” by the Supreme Court in relation to the bandh issue.

While arguing that the Supreme Court’s Sunday direction, restraining the DMK and its allies from going ahead with a bandh on Monday, was flouted, BJP president Rajnath Singh sought the dismissal of Union Minister T.R. Baalu for his reported adverse comments against the judiciary and judges.

“I urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to immediately dismiss Mr. Baalu from the Union Cabinet to fulfil the constitutional obligation of the government,” he told journalists here.

Mr. Singh said the Monday happenings in Tamil Nadu showed that under the UPA government, the cultural, federal and constitutional fabric of the country was being jeopardised.

The Prime Minister must display courage and commitment to uphold the true spirit of the Constitution.

Party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy reiterated the BJP’s demand for dismissal of the Karunanidhi government. The Supreme Court had vindicated the BJP’s stand and now the onus was on the UPA government to discharge its constitutional obligations in a dutiful manner.

Stating that there was a complete breakdown of constitutional machinery in Tamil Nadu, he said the State was facing a serious constitutional crisis.

Asked about the party’s stand on political parties organising bandhs to express their protests in a democratic manner, Mr. Rudy said this was not the right forum to debate the issue.

Karnataka crisis

On the Karnataka crisis, he said senior leader Venkaiah Naidu was flying to Bangalore to hold talks with the local party leaders as well as Janata Dal (Secular) representatives on transfer of power, which is scheduled for October 3.

“The BJP is confident that it will have its chief minister in place as per the agreement.” A meeting of all BJP MLAs was convened for Tuesday to decide the next course of action.

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