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Pressure growing on Vajpayee to sack Modi

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee came under relentless pressure on Monday from key partners of the ruling National Democratic Alliance to sack Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

"Yes, National Conference leader and Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah has made his party's continuance in the alliance conditional on Modi's resignation," said Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentary spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra. "But the prime minister has not taken any decision on Abdullah's resignation, which he has tendered on this issue."

Malhotra ducked further questions on the National Conference's relationship with the NDA. But the Conference, the Telugu Desam Party, the Trinamool Congress, the Samata Party and the Lok Jan Shakti Party (whose chief, Ram Vilas Paswan resigned on Monday as Union minister for coal and mines) are adamant that Modi be asked to go.

Significantly, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which had been steadfastly defending Modi, indicated on Monday that it would remain neutral on the issue. This is seen as a setback to Modi, himself a former RSS pracharak, who was confident hitherto that the Sangh would stand by him.

"We have already stated that Modi's [staying or] going will not affect us," said a visibly agitated RSS spokesman M G Vaidya before banging the phone down. His colleague and RSS joint general secretary Madan Das Devi declined to comment.

BJP politicians who had supported Modi are also keeping a low profile. "Let us wait for the [Gujarat] debate to get over," said a senior Lok Sabha member who insisted on remaining unnamed. "It could be a pointer to a lot of developments."

The MP expressed concern that the violence in Gujarat was continuing though two months had passed since the Godhra carnage of February 27. "This does not bode well for Modi," he said. "It is not a question of X, Y or Z. Anyone in his shoes would have faced flak. Frankly, it is a wonder Modi has lasted so long."

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