The Hindu : Front Page : NDA leaders seek Kalam's intervention

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Friday, Apr 29, 2005

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NDA leaders seek Kalam's intervention

Special Correspondent

"Advise Manmohan to drop Lalu"

"The Prime Minister has an unfettered constitutional right to choose members of his Cabinet and ensure that those against whom there were criminal cases are kept out."

CAMPAIGN against lalu: BJP president L.K.Advani and other NDA leaders addressing mediapersons at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday after submitting a memorandum to President A.P.J Abdul Kalam seeking to dismiss Railway Minister Lalu Prasad. Charges have been framed in a Ranchi court against Mr. Prasad in a fodder scam case. — Photo: Anu Pushkarna

NEW DELHI: Led by the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the National Democratic Alliance leaders met President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Thursday afternoon to ask him to advise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to drop Railway Minister Lalu Prasad from the Union Cabinet, following the framing of charges against him in a Ranchi court.

At a meeting this morning the NDA leaders decided to continue their "boycott" of Parliament this week and meet the President to place their demands and grievances before him.

A memorandum given to the President charged that Dr. Singh was "guilty of tainting his own high office by including criminal elements" in the Government. The Opposition leaders said that while he may have no control over the "criminal elements" being elected to Parliament, he had "an unfettered constitutional right to choose members of his Cabinet and ensure that those against whom there were criminal cases are kept out."

On arms deals

During the 20-minute meeting, the NDA convenor and former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, reportedly appealed to the President not to allow the Central Bureau of Investigation to question Army personnel and civilians involved in defence procurement. The appeal has been made against the backdrop of fresh CBI investigations into a number of arms deals made during the NDA regime. The NDA has said that such probes would "demoralise" the Army.

"Attitude" criticised

Speaking to reporters outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani criticised the "attitude" of the Government towards the Opposition.

The NDA is expected to review its boycott decision on Monday morning, the day the Union Budget is to be put to vote in the Lok Sabha.

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