Reprieve for Joshi Govt

Briefing about the Council’s discussion on Article 356, invoked to clamp President’s Rule on any State, Gupta said the Prime Minister had assured the Chief Ministers that no state government was under any “immediate” threat of being dismissed.

Gupta, who has submitted an oral report to Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral on his recent Mumbai visit, told reporters here today that he had sought daily reports on the situation from the State Governor. He said it was upto the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to decide whether President’s Rule should be imposed on the State. At a separate press briefing in the Capital, Maharashtra CM Manohar Joshi expressed confidence that the Centre will not dismiss his government. He said there was no reason for the Centre to impose President’s Rule as his government had taken immediate steps to control the situation and to bring the culprits to book.

Joshi presented his side of the story at the Council meeting too.Indrajit Gupta warned against jumping to conclusions while a judicial enquiry was already on in Maharashtra. But at the same time, he made no attempts to hide his scepticism over the Maharashtra police version of the events.

He said the witnesses he met in Mumbai questioned the need for the police to open fire on those protesting the desecration of Ambedkar’s statue. He implied that the police did not follow set procedure in dealing with a mob.The police should have resorted to lathi-charge or tear-gas, he suggested.

Gupta said the doctors told him that most victims were shot above the waist. And many victims told him that they had no idea from where the bullets came from. He also said the police posse posted outside the house of Congress leader Chaggan Bhujbal did little to ward off the attack by Shiv Sainiks, except pleading with the mob.