In an exclusive interview to The Indian Express at the Raj Bhavan here on Wednesday evening, Singh said the successive governments in the recent past did not change the Governors despite a change of guard at the Centre. But, the present Vajpayee Government has chosen to give marching orders to the Governors of various states.

``The BJP-led Government's directive to me and other Governors to resign is not in consistent with the spirit of the Constitution which has clearly laid down that a Governor will not quit despite a change of guard at the Centre or change in the Presidentship or the Prime Ministership", the Governor contended.

Apparently stung by the Union Cabinet's decision asking him to step down, Krishna Pal Singh complained notonly the former Prime Ministers, including Narasimha Rao, Deve Gowda and I K Gujral, but also personalities like Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Ambedkar had lent a "dignified" status and shown great respect to the Governor's post. He said the present regime's decision asking the state Governors to resign from the post before completion of the five-year term would send wrong signals among believers of the Indian Constitution. Responding to a query, the Governor said Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel had never asked him to resign nor had he recommended to any one at the Centre ``for my resignation''. Singh, however, did not rule out the possibility of the ``hawks in the BJP'' having insisted on his stepping down.

He pleaded ignorance when his attention was drawn to Gujarat Minister of State for Education Anandiben Patel, a close confidante of RSS leader Narendra Modi, having reportedly submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister L K Advani, during her visit to Delhi last week, demanding Singh'sresignation.

Singh said as soon as the BJP came to power at the Centre, he had suspected a ``bunch of hardliners'' in the party might compel the Central leadership to direct him to step down.

The Governor said the Union Home Secretary had telephonically informed him, around 10.30 am on Monday, about the Cabinet's decision asking him to resign. ``Obeying the Cabinet decision, I drafted my resignation letter immediately and sent it to the President of India through a Raj Bhavan official,'' he said.

Commenting on the BJP's move on the ruling to abrogate the Article 356 empowering Governors to recommend President rule in States, Singh said, ``I strongly feel that the move must be resisted for this provision must exist to safeguard the integrity and sovereignty of India.'' He also accused the BJP of ``double-speak'' on issues like Ram temple construction, common civil code and Article 370.

Refuting the charges by both, the BJP and the Congress that he had shielded former CM Shankarsinh Vaghela during histenure as the Governor, Singh said he had always acted in an ``unbiased manner and discharged only constitutional obligations''.