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No question of Modi's removal, says BJP chief

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD MAY 30. The president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jana Krishnamurthi, has asked his partymen to prepare themselves for early Assembly elections in Gujarat while ruling out the possibility of removing the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

Mr. Krishnamurthi denied reports that discontent was brewing among a section of the BJP and some members of the Cabinet against Mr. Modi. He had spoken to many party workers and leaders and "no one ever complained to me against Mr. Modi.''

The BJP vice-president, Ramdas Agarwal, also in-charge of Gujarat affairs, also denied that representations were made to him against Mr. Modi by the party leaders or any of his Ministers. Mr. Agarwal told The Hindu that he was "surprised'' to read media reports saying that a large number of BJP workers and Ministers had complained to him about Mr. Modi's "style of functioning."

Mr. Krishnamurthi, who attended the party's state executive meeting here today, told mediapersons that in accordance with the Goa resolution, the party had left it to Mr. Modi to decide on the timing of the Assembly elections. He, however, did not rule out the possibility of their being held earlier than the scheduled time in February next.

On a media report which claimed that a Minister in the Modi Cabinet had told the Citizens' Tribunal that the Chief Minister had directed police not to come in the way of the Sangh Parivar activists who were taking revenge for the Godhra carnage during the Gujarat bandh, he said his attention had been drawn to the report but he had not yet read it. "After I read it, I will hold my own inquiry and take suitable action against the guilty.'' He did not clarify if the action would be against the unnamed Minister for deposing before the Tribunal, or Mr. Modi.

On the arrest of some BJP leaders in connection with the riots, Mr. Krishnamurthi said the party would never encourage indiscipline. He denied that his partymen in the State were unhappy over the appointment of K. P. S. Gill as Security Adviser to the Chief Minister, at whose initiative the BJP and the Sangh activists were being arrested.

Turning to international affairs, Mr. Krishnamurthi said it was time India told the United States, the United Kingdom and other foreign countries, which were still advising India to talk to Pakistan, that their perception of Pakistan's terrorist activities was wrong.

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