VS demands removal of Union Ministers

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 28. The Politburo member of the CPI(M), Mr. V. S. Achuthanandan, has demanded the immediate removal of Mr. L. K. Advani, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and Ms. Uma Bharathi from the Union Ministry as they were among the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

In a statement here today, he asked the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B.Vajpayee, who had made the Union Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Harin Pathak, resign after he was chargesheeted for murder to do so in the case of these Ministers also. He added that these Ministers should be removed from the Ministry immediately if there was any sincerity behind the BJP president, Mr. Bangaru Lakshman's declaration that the party would take a decision on their resignation at the appropriate juncture.

The CPI(M) leader stated that the continuance of criminal offenders in high positions like that of Union Ministers was a challenge to rule of law. There were such persons among the allies of the BJP also. He drew attention in this connection to the indictment of the Shiv Sena leader, Mr.Bal Thackeray, by the Srikrishna Commission, for the Mumbai riots and the levels to which the leaders of the BJP--Shiv Sena combine went to save him. Because of it Mr. Thackeray, who should have been handcuffed and locked up, was moving about freely.

He stated that the BJP leadership was now saying that these persons had no role in the Babri Masjid issue. It was a false statement to fool the people of the country. He charged the Union Ministers with having given the lead for the naked violation of the Constitution, court order and law. Ms. Uma Bharathi even climbed up the Masjid and stood with the `kar sevaks'.

He felt that the accused in a serious criminal case which attracted national attention should not continue as the members of the supreme law making body of the country. He described the party's and its leaders bid to save them as shameful.

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Section  : Southern States
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