11-11-2005, 04:44 AM
Friday, November 11, 2005
President Kalam threatens to resign
* Differences with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will âbecome public soonâ
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: Differences between Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singhâs government may become âpublic very soon,â sources told Daily Times.
Sources said Kalam was threatening to resign and was just waiting for the Supreme Courtâs Constitution Bench judgment on the âunconstitutionalâ dissolution of the Bihar Assembly. Bihar is not the only issue creating differences, they said. The Congress Party does not trust Kalam and sees him as being closer to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), they added.
According to sources, the Prime Ministerâs Office has stopped the communication of minutes from the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for the past three months. Whenever the Rashtrapati Bhawan (Presidency) asks for the minutes, the Cabinet Secretariat has wriggled out, saying the draft minutes had been sent to the PMO for clearance.
Earlier, Kalam aired his displeasure to Singh after the SC struck down the dissolution to announce a complete judgment later, said sources. They said Kalam complained he was being taken for granted and was rushed to sign the proclamation dissolving the Bihar Assembly. He reportedly told the prime minister that the latter had betrayed his trust by making the wrong recommendation and he wanted to step down, they added.
Singh, who was in Chandigarh that day, persuaded him not to precipitate a crisis and assured him the government would challenge the ruling. However, his condemnation of Governor Buta Singh on Tuesday for âthe wrong recommendationâ to dissolve the assembly was read in the Rashtrapati Bhawan as him going back on his promise to the president for a review of the judgment.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders, led by Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni, are claiming that Kalam was an appointee of the previous NDA regime and the party would be happy if he resigns. The party would ensure that a new president was appointed within two months of Kalamâs resignation instead of allowing a longer run to Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, to remain the interim President, Congress sources said.
President Kalam threatens to resign
* Differences with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will âbecome public soonâ
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: Differences between Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singhâs government may become âpublic very soon,â sources told Daily Times.
Sources said Kalam was threatening to resign and was just waiting for the Supreme Courtâs Constitution Bench judgment on the âunconstitutionalâ dissolution of the Bihar Assembly. Bihar is not the only issue creating differences, they said. The Congress Party does not trust Kalam and sees him as being closer to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), they added.
According to sources, the Prime Ministerâs Office has stopped the communication of minutes from the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for the past three months. Whenever the Rashtrapati Bhawan (Presidency) asks for the minutes, the Cabinet Secretariat has wriggled out, saying the draft minutes had been sent to the PMO for clearance.
Earlier, Kalam aired his displeasure to Singh after the SC struck down the dissolution to announce a complete judgment later, said sources. They said Kalam complained he was being taken for granted and was rushed to sign the proclamation dissolving the Bihar Assembly. He reportedly told the prime minister that the latter had betrayed his trust by making the wrong recommendation and he wanted to step down, they added.
Singh, who was in Chandigarh that day, persuaded him not to precipitate a crisis and assured him the government would challenge the ruling. However, his condemnation of Governor Buta Singh on Tuesday for âthe wrong recommendationâ to dissolve the assembly was read in the Rashtrapati Bhawan as him going back on his promise to the president for a review of the judgment.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders, led by Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni, are claiming that Kalam was an appointee of the previous NDA regime and the party would be happy if he resigns. The party would ensure that a new president was appointed within two months of Kalamâs resignation instead of allowing a longer run to Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, to remain the interim President, Congress sources said.