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Joshi resignation drama concludes!
New Delhi/Lucknow, Sept 30: The 11-day drama over the resignation of HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi from the Union Cabinet ended today with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee rejecting it after the Allahabad High Court stayed proceedings against Joshi in the Babri Masjid demolition case in the Rae Bareli court.
New Delhi/Lucknow, Sept 30: The 11-day drama over the resignation of HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi from the Union Cabinet ended today with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee rejecting it after the Allahabad High Court stayed proceedings against Joshi in the Babri Masjid demolition case in the Rae
Bareli court.
Shortly after the Lucknow bench of the high court stayed the trial court's framing of charges against Joshi till disposal of his writ petition challenging the September 19 verdict, Vajpayee spoke to Joshi and congratulated him on the
stay.
The Prime Minister told Joshi that he was turning down his resignation and asked him to resume work, a PMO spokesman said.
Later Joshi told reporters that he has accepted the decision of the Prime Minister with "humility" but felt the case "is politically motivated and does not involve issues of moral turpitude".
"The Allahabad High Court has stayed the Rae Bareli special court order which made me submit my resignation to uphold the highest moral traditions.”
"I believe and agree with the view that demolition case is politically motivated and that it does not involve issues of criminal and moral turpitude,” he said.
Joshi, who resigned on September 19 after the Rae Bareli court decided to frame charges against him, said in a statement today that he resigned to honour the court ruling though he never considered himself guilty in the December 6 1992 incident.
He said that Ayodhya issue should be resolved at the earliest which would result in a grand reconciliation in the country.
"I feel that the time is ripe for finding an amicable solution to the Ayodhya issue. Overwhelming public opinion favours that building a magnificent temple at the birth place of Sri Rama would bring peace in the country creating emotional bridges of happiness and brotherhood among all citizens," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani also spoke to Joshi and greeted him while the party expressed happiness over the high court decision.
BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu, who spoke to the Prime Minister after the high court decision, said the party had always been of the view that there was no need for anyone to resign. "It is a political case and we will fight it politically and legally.”
"We are happy about the stay given by the court and I am confident that subsequently when the issue comes up for hearing all our people will be discharged,” Naidu said.
Bureau Report
The Prime Minister told Joshi that he was turning down his resignation and asked him to resume work, a PMO spokesman said.
Later Joshi told reporters that he has accepted the decision of the Prime Minister with "humility" but felt the case "is politically motivated and does not involve issues of moral turpitude".
"The Allahabad High Court has stayed the Rae Bareli special court order which made me submit my resignation to uphold the highest moral traditions.”
"I believe and agree with the view that demolition case is politically motivated and that it does not involve issues of criminal and moral turpitude,” he said.
Joshi, who resigned on September 19 after the Rae Bareli court decided to frame charges against him, said in a statement today that he resigned to honour the court ruling though he never considered himself guilty in the December 6 1992 incident.
He said that Ayodhya issue should be resolved at the earliest which would result in a grand reconciliation in the country.
"I feel that the time is ripe for finding an amicable solution to the Ayodhya issue. Overwhelming public opinion favours that building a magnificent temple at the birth place of Sri Rama would bring peace in the country creating emotional bridges of happiness and brotherhood among all citizens," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani also spoke to Joshi and greeted him while the party expressed happiness over the high court decision.
BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu, who spoke to the Prime Minister after the high court decision, said the party had always been of the view that there was no need for anyone to resign. "It is a political case and we will fight it politically and legally.”
"We are happy about the stay given by the court and I am confident that subsequently when the issue comes up for hearing all our people will be discharged,” Naidu said.
Bureau Report