Betrayal amp; surrender

quot;Coming from a person who claims to have always upheld high set of principles in public life, the manner in which all this was done is truly shocking8230;if it were really a matter of principles, then he should have also given the marching orders to L K Advani, M M Joshi, Rama Krishna Hegde and Uma Bharati,quot; he said.

In a letter to the Prime Minister today, copies of which were released to the press, he accused Vajpayee of not giving him the time he had requested to decide on his resignation. quot;It is now evident that you did not give me time as promised and conveyed your decision for myexclusion from your Cabinet in a premature fashion8230;you have proved your partiality in favour of your other colleagues who stand on the same footing as I do,quot; he stated.

Hitting out at Vajpayee, Singh further stated in his letter: quot;Mr Prime Minister, you are also aware that I had mobilised the support of MPs from other parties for your government at the time of the confidence motion in the Lok Sabha8230;it was for this act in 1993 that my name was included in the list of accused in the JMM case. If that act was weighed as a crime at that time, then let the country also know that you asked me commit the same act for your own survival as Prime Minister.quot;

quot;Let me assure you that I will not take this issue to the public as it was done in full confidence,quot; he added.

He alleged that the Prime Minister8217;s emissary, Pramod Mahajan, had threatened him to submit his resignation papers within 10 minutes, failing which he and his family would face serious consequences. Singh had gone to the Supreme Court to file apetition in the JMM bribery case when Mahajan visited his residence in the afternoon, armed with the Prime Minister8217;s letter of dismissal.

Singh challenged the Prime Minister to justify to the nation his party8217;s stand on Advani, Hegde, Joshi, Uma Bharati and others who were being given quot;full protection.quot; He also sought to explain in detail how the Supreme Court order did not indict him in any manner and that the Prime Minister has not examined it properly.

The former Communications Minister insisted that he was made a scapegoat in this entire affair. quot;This government is being run by Jayalalitha and will survive as long as she wants8230;the real target is Vajpayee.quot;

Asked whether he would continue to extend support to the BJP government, Singh shot back quot;how can I support a government which has discriminated against me.quot;

He said Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani had advised him not to step down from the Union Cabinet. quot;Jethmalani said he will be with me. I do not know what will be his stand now,quot;Singh said.

Singh said that he would now concentrate his efforts on floating a regional party in Rajasthan. quot;I am in touch with several MPs and MLAs from the State belonging to different parties.quot; He ruled out re-joining the Congress or any other national party.

Meanwhile, Mahajan today dismissed as absurd Buta Singh8217;s allegation that he had threatened him when he had gone to the minister8217;s house to handover Prime Minister8217;s letter asking him to resign.

quot;It is absurd to say that I have threatened either Singh or his family because I was told none was present when I went to his house at 1330 hours,quot; Mahajan clarified.

Mahajan said, quot;the only truth about 10 minutes8217; is that I asked his additional private secretary Pritam Singh to show or communicate the letter to the minister at the earliest to give him an opportunity to resign instead of his exclusion from the Union Cabinet.quot;

Mahajan also refuted Buta Singh8217;s claim that he had mobilised support for the government during the Confidence Motion sayingit was the comments of a frustrated person. quot;At no point of time Singh was either asked to mobilise support or did he actually do so,quot; he added.

Singh had claimed he had quot;mobilisedquot; support for the government as in a parliamentary democracy vote mobilisation was not a crime.