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Remove Modi: TDP

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD APRIL 11. The Telugu Desam Party has called upon the Bharatiya Janata Party, its ally and leader of the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, to effect an "immediate change of leadership'' in Gujarat.

In a strongly-worded resolution adopted today, the party politburo said the administration and the leadership in Gujarat "have failed miserably'' in not only quelling the violence but also in providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims of communal riots, which have rocked the State for over a month.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader, N. Chandrababu Naidu, chaired the politburo session in two spells before taking the crucial decision of calling for the replacement of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

The TDP said that unless Mr. Modi quit, "we will be guilty of eroding public confidence and failing to provide just and fair governance'' to the citizens. What was important was providing a healing touch and restoring the confidence of the people in the institutions of governance.

The interests of the nation were more important than those of parties, organisations and individuals and the nation could not be held hostage to the "partisan and short-sighted agendas'' of a few misguided organisations or people. Immediate steps were necessary to "prevent our nation from descending into unmitigated chaos.''

The resolution said that secularism was one of the fundamental tenets of the party and that communal harmony was fundamental to India's future. Adherence to secularism was one of the "basic conditions of our support to the NDA." Any negation of this principle would be unacceptable. The recent developments in Gujarat had tarnished India's image as a modern, liberal and secular society and threatened to wreck its secular fabric.

The TDP agreed with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's observation that "brutality against innocent victims is a national shame.''

By calling for Mr. Modi's ouster, the TDP struck an unexpected blow at the BJP leadership just on the eve of its important meeting in Goa. It also represents a shift in the TDP stand that the return to normality, restoration of peace and rehabilitation of riot victims were more important.

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