The Hindu : Opposition MPs petition President

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 02, 2002

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Opposition MPs petition President
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 1. Leaders of Opposition parties today petitioned the President, Mr. K.R. Narayanan, urging him to ensure that the Army was deployed immediately in violence-hit Gujarat. Before going to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Opposition parties forced adjournment of both Houses of Parliament.

The Congress leader, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, led over 200 MPs to Rashtrapati Bhavan. The MPs urged the President to prevail upon the Government to deploy the Army in Gujarat and to take firm and decisive measures to prevent recurrence of violent incidents.

After the 30-minute meeting with the President, the Opposition leaders told presspersons that they tried to share with him their perception of the gravity of the situation and the ``ineffectiveness'' of the Narendra Modi Government.

Flanked by other leaders, Ms. Gandhi said they had conveyed their deep anguish at the Gujarat developments. She pointed out that they had knocked on the doors of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister requesting them to deploy the Army. ``We have been in touch with them throughout yesterday, but nothing has moved,'' she said, adding that the President was aware of the situation.

The CPI(M) leader, Somnath Chatterjee, said the Opposition parties had deliberately refrained from asking for the resignation of the State Government, because at the moment their priority was getting the Army deployed so that the ``communal carnage can be brought to an end in Gujarat.''

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