Mohinder's resignation paves way for end to deadlock

Mohinder's resignation paves way for end to deadlock
ASHWANI SHARMA

SHIMLA, NOV 30: In a day of quick and dramatic political developments, controversial Public Works Minister Mohinder Singh mellowed down and submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, paving the way for an end to the six-day- long political crisis faced by the BJP in the hill state. Earlier in the day, rebel legislator Des Raj returned to the dissident camp.

Mohinder Singh declared that he had asked the Chief Minister to accepthis resignation lying with him for some days, in case it helped impart stability to his government. The minister, however, offered to continue his support to the government to enable it to last full five years. Sources indicated that Omkar Sharma, Chief Minister's OSD, had also offered to quit to help the Chief Minister end the crisis.

The Chief Minister who looked visibly relaxed and came on The Mall for a stroll in the evening, said ``I will take suitable action on the resignation at an appropriate time''. He maintained that Mohinder Singh had made the gesture of handing over resignation to him after the rebels also expressed their faith in my leadership.

Dhumal said his stand that there was no threat to the government had been vindicated with all the six rebels, including ministers, extending their solidarity with the government.

The rebels, who also returned to the town along with Des Raj, mainatinedthat talks had made significant progress and they expressed the confidenceabout the crisis would end very soon. In the evening, when informed about Mohinder Singh's resignation, Dulo Ram, spokesman of the rebel group, said ``Unless some action from the Chief Minister's side was taken, the resignation will not help in anyway''. He said the group was not at all keen to precipitate the crisis or destabilise the government but ``we stand by all issues raised in the letter, particularly the issue of corruption ''. Dulo Ram said their response to today's talks would be known only tomorrow.

After yesterday's deadlock, the scene was different during the day as events unfolded with the arrival of rebels in the town along with DesRaj, who earlier had broken away from the group and supported Dhumal. Therebels initially looked unrelenting as they addressed a joint pressconference making it clear that they would not hesitate to take even drastic steps, if their demands were not accepted. Dulo Ram said they want some central leaders from Delhi except Narinder Modi to come to Shimla to hold talks with them.

But soon after, four emissaries of the Chief Minister---Jai Ram Thakur, MLA,K D Dharmani, Suresh Bhardwaj, both former MLAs and Karamvir Vermareached and the group softened the stand and assured that they were not for destablising the government but definitely want Mohinder Singh and OmkarThakur to go. ``Since our government has come with a promise to provide cleanand corruption free government, why Mohinder singh is not being dropped'' they asked.

Even they supported demand for inquiry into some of the other charges levelled by them in the latter and said during negotiations all these thing will be discussed in detail. They maintained in the evening that the ball was in the Chief Minister's court as their stand had already been conveyed to him by the negotiators.

Talking to mediamen, Dhumal said there was no crisis in the party or the government and action on issues raised by the MLAs and three minister would be known in due course.

Mohinder Singh when approached said his resignation was already lying with the Chief Minister and today he personally went to the Chief Minister suggesting that he was free to take a suitable action on his papers anytime he wanted.

Singh recalled that when BJP-led coalition government was being formed ,he was given the offr of Deputy Chief Ministership along with the prized portfolios of PWD, Excise and Taxation and IPH if I joinedthe Virbhadra Ministry.

``I rejected it outrightly and offered to play a role in the formation of the BJP-HVC coalition government led by Dhumal and worked tirelessly to enable the government to get absolute majority in the Assembly and also win the parliamentary elections in Shimla and later Solan by-elections''.

Singh said he would not allow vested interests to destabalise Dhumal government and his support to him would continue. The minister also accused the Congress of hatching a conspiracy with BJP dissidents to destabilise Dhumal government. He also demanded inquiry into contacts of digging of tubewells given to a firm owned by dissident Minister Hari Narain Saini.