NEW DELHI, FEB 23: Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy today demanded dismissal of Defence Minister George Fernandes alleging he was a ``national security risk.''Swamy, in a letter to President K R Narayanan, said sacked Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat's remarks on Fernandes had ``confirmed that the present Defence Minister is a national security risk and should be sacked either by the Prime Minister or by your intervention.''
Alleging that Fernandes was ``deeply involved'' with the LTTE, Swamy told reporters here ``Our Defence Minister has humiliated our top naval officer at the bidding of the Eelam.''
``The President has powers vested in him as the supreme commander of the Armed Force to ensure that Fernandes is dropped,'' the Janata Party chief said, adding that Bhagwat had a reputation for being honest.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist has demanded a high-level inquiry, headed by a Supreme Court judge, into the allegations made by Bhagwat against Fernandes.
``The Defence Minister,George Fernandes, has to resign for precipitating such a state of affairs,'' the Politburo of the party said in a statement today.
``Admiral Bhagwat's version of the events which led to his removal, given to the media (yesterday), have raised very serious questions connected with the integrity of the Armed Forces and vital matters of security,'' the Politburo said.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.