BJP to Congress: Ask Mithi to quit

The BJP today flayed the disruption of Lok Sabha proceedings by the Congress and described its action as undemocratic. BJP spokesman V.K. Ma...

The BJP today flayed the disruption of Lok Sabha proceedings by the Congress and described its action as undemocratic.

BJP spokesman V.K. Malhotra told reporters: ‘‘The Congress should ask Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi to resign after having lost a majority, instead of stalling proceedings in the House. It is undemocratic.’’

Cong meets Vajpayee over
North-East affairs

NEW DELHI: A Congress delegation today met Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee today to express the party’s concern about the state of affairs in North-East, especially the way the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh has been reduced to a minority.

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Senior leader Manmohan Singh, who led the delegation, said, ‘‘It is not just the matter of people changing parties. What is happening in AP is extraordinary and if it is not checked then it can have dangerous implications to the nation’s security and democracy.’’ ‘‘It is a deliberate effort on part of an insurgent group, with whom the Centre was holding peace talks, to terrorise the legislators’’, he said. Blaming the Home Ministry for not performing its duties, he said, ‘‘In AP we face threat from various sources,’’ he said referring to comments from China on the region. (ENS)

Referring to the Congress demand for a statement by the PM on the issue, he said: ‘‘What can the Prime Minister do when their own party has split? They have lost the numbers’ game. We are nowhere in the picture.’’

Malhotra said Mithi could hold on to his chair if the difference between the number of his supporters and opponents was narrow. However, in this case, he had been clearly left with about 15 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

Regarding the Mumbai blasts, he said that they smacked of a ‘‘dangerous trend’’. State governments, particularly those belonging to the Congress, should come down heavily on the culprits.

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He described as ‘‘disgraceful’’ the reported remark of Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi that PM A.B. Vajpayee had given nothing to the state after enjoying its hospitality for three days. He said: ‘‘A PM is an honoured guest in the states whenever he is on tour. Jogi should remember this.’’

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