JD(S) ratifies Gowda's 'suspension,' Sindia appointed Sec Gen

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 23 (UNI) Former Karnataka Minister P G R Sindia was today appointed secretary general of the Janata Dal (Secular) by the anti-Deve Gowda faction at its national council meeting here.

The party also suspended the former Prime Minister from the primary membership of the party and appointed veteran socialist Surendra Mohan as the national president.

The meeting, while endorsing the decision of yesterday's party executive to dissolve the Karnataka unit, also decided to appoint Mr Ekandhaiah as the president in that state.

Mr M P Veerendrakumar will continue to be the party's Parliamentary party leader and also the Kerala unit president, Mr Surendra Mohan told newspersons here.

It also ratified the decision of the executive to dissolve the Karnataka unit of the party and suspend Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and 39 MLAs from the primary membership of the party.

The meeting also nullified all the decisions taken by Mr Gowda after he ''sacrificied the basic principles of secularism.'' With this development, the split in the JD(S) was almost formalised.

The Deve Gowda faction, which described the meeting as ''illegal and unconstitutional'', has convened the national concil meeting in New Delhi on December 25.

Referring to the claims by both the factions that they were the real JD(S), Mr Mohan said the claims and counter claims would now come up before the Election Commission which would take the right decision. ''We will demand that the faction headed by Mr Gowda should be deprived of the party flag and symbol,'' he said, adding that 28 of the 49 national executive members attended their meeting.

UNI CR VV PAG RR VV1933