Gowda demands Patel8217;s ouster

VADODARA, Jan 5: Former prime minister and senior Janata Dal leader H D Deve Gowda has written to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee demanding the dismissal of the Keshubhai Patel Government for its alleged failure to check increasing attacks on minorities, particularly Christians, in Gujarat.

In an informal chat with a section of the Press in Vadodara on Tuesday morning, Deve Gowda, who was on his way to Dangs along with senior Janata Dal leaders, said the Dangs incidents gave wrong signals and were a threat to the country8217;s secular character.

On the sacking of Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, he said 8220;Bhagwat had been treated worse than a clerk by the Centre.8221; He said removal of such a person should have preceded mature consideration by a proper high-powered Parliamentary Committee and decent procedure.

He reiterated his stance on the purchase of T-90 tanks from Russia and said he had written a letter in the connection to the PM.