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Guj issue: Ram Vilas Paswan quits Union Cabinet

"I have been under tension for the past one month over the failure of the Centre in dealing with the Gujarat situation. The Centre cannot escape its responsibility," the Lok Jan Shakti Party leader said.

Ramachandra Paswan, younger brother of the minister, told reporters in Delhi that he along with the party vice-president Ramvir Singh Bidhuri submitted the resignation of Ram Vilas Paswan to the prime minister's private secretary.

Prime Minister Vajpayee forwarded Paswan's resignation to President K R Narayanan who has accepted the same, an official spokesperson said.

Maintaining that it was not his intention to destabilise the Central government, Paswan, who has been demanding dismissal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and imposition of President's rule, ruled out reconsideration of his decision to resign.

The decision was taken in the interest of upholding secular principles as it is not enough to merely criticise the incidents in Gujarat, he said.

He also dismissed any link between his resignation and the decision of the BSP and BJP to form a government in Uttar Pradesh.

"I did what I felt was right. I don't want to comment on what I will do if Modi resigns," he added.

The party has four members in the Lok Sabha.

Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the party has also decided to severe its ties with the NDA.

Paswan had repeatedly demanded that President's rule be imposed in Gujarat besides the removal of Modi as chief minister, he said.

The country has to hang its head in shame because of the Gujarat developments, Bidhuri said.

Paswan's resignation came just hours before the meeting of the National Democratic Alliance to discuss the strategy of the ruling combine during Tuesday's opposition-sponsored censure motion against the government in the Lok Sabha, which entails voting.

The Lok Jan Shakti Party will not be attending the NDA meeting, Bidhuri said.

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