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Vajpayee threatens to resign

Apparently perturbed over the recent spate of attacks on his government from a section of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National Democratic Alliance allies, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday abruptly left the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting after expressing his desire to quit office.

With criticism over the government's handling of the Agra Summit and the UTI muddle weighing heavily on him, a visibly anguished Vajpayee said, "Since I am the Prime Minister, I am responsible. I cannot manage the NDA. I have grown old. I am also unwell. I should leave the chair. That is why, I have decided to resign," BJP sources said.

As his remarks sent shock waves, Vajpayee said he was not going to change his decision and abruptly left the meeting observing it was for the party to decide on its future course of action, the sources said.

It all started on a relatively minor matter when a member from Himachal Pradesh, Maheshwar Singh, complained against Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan for ignoring partymen while constituting the Telephone Advisory Committees.

Singh, the sources said, wondered as to how a three-member party (Lok Janshakti) was not paying heed to the interests of the 182-member BJP.

Even as Singh sought to continue his tirade, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan said the prime minister would address the members.

Vajpayee started by saying that as prime minister he was answerable to any shortcomings.

As Vajpayee finished his brief remarks, stunned members were on their legs vehemently saying 'no, no' with Ram Nagina Mishra and party vice president Sangh Priya Gautam moving towards the podium in an attempt to pacify the prime minister, the sources said.

Later some members said that the remarks of the Prime Minister came as a 'bolt from the blue' to them.

"Initially, we thought he was joking but when he said he was not going to change his decision and abruptly left the meeting, we realised the seriousness of the situation," they said.

Meanwhile, BJP Parliamentary party spokesman, V K Malhotra, confirmed that Prime Minister Vajpayee had offered to resign, and the offer was directly linked to Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam's criticism of the UTI issue.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Malhotra said, "I think Sanjay Nirupam's criticism of the UTI issue could be responsible for the Prime Minister offering to resign on Tuesday."

He pointed out that all the NDA partners were solidly behind Vajpayee and they had rejected his offer to resign.

Malhotra added the prime minister will speak his mind out on his offer to resign at Wednesday's NDA coordination committee meeting.

However, Shiv Sena member Suresh Jadhav said discussing the UTI issue did not amount to criticism.

With inputs from Tara Shankar Sahay and agencies

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