Gowda must resign as party president: JD-S faction

New Delhi, Aug 7: A banner of revolt has been raised against the leadership of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda by a section of the Janata Dal (Secular), which wants him to go for not living up to the party's name literally.

The revolt is led by the Kerala and Delhi units of the party, which say Mr Gowda has ''betrayed'' the party by scripting a new ''pro-communal role'' in Karnataka.

A meeting of the National Executive called by the anti-Gowda faction last weekend decided to seek his ouster from the party.

''We stayed with Mr Gowda because of his secular image, but he has now joined communal forces,'' said Mr Shoiab Iqbal, Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Assembly and president of JD (S) state unit.

JD (S) parliamentary party leader M P Veerendra Kumar, a member of the faction, said Mr Gowda has no political or moral right to continue as party president.

''Mr Gowda is supporting the Kumaraswamy government backed by the BJP violating party policy of not aligning with communal forces,'' Mr Kumar told a news conference here.

The anti-Gowda faction accuses the party president of ''keeping quiet'' over the Karnataka episode in which his son H D Kumaraswamy toppled the Congress-led Dharam Singh government early this year to form a new government with BJP.

According to senior party leader Surendra Mohan, the National Executive decided to organise state-level meetings against the continuation of Mr Gowda as party chief. A national convention of the party is also on the cards.

''Mr Gowda should not have any place in the party,'' said Mr Mohan.

The 75-strong National Executive was attended by eight of its members. The rival faction, however, claimed the support of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Goa units. Mr PGR Scindia, a National Executive member from Karnataka, is also on their side, they say.

Mr Mohan had written a letter to Mr Gowda in June asking him to resign as party president immediately, a communication which the former prime minister ignored.

UNI

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