JD(S) rebels call their Executive on Jan 21

New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) The rebel Janata Dal (Secular), led by Mr Surendra Mohan and Veerendra Kumar, MP, has convened its National Executive on January 21 in an apparent bid to challenge the group loyal to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and to finalise its strategy in the states going to the polls.

Rebel JD(S), which calls itself the 'real JD(S)', has removed Mr Gowda as the President for deviating from the principles of secularism by forming an alliance with the BJP in Karnataka to realise his ambition of making his son Chief Minister of the state, former Karnataka Minister and JD(S) Secretary General P G R Sindhya told newspersons today.

He said his party did not want to become a forum for Deve Gowda bashing but it was its duty to expose his misdeeds in revoking the suspensions against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and 38 other MLAs without any reasons and getting it ratified in the National Executive. His 'filial weakness' has proved stronger than his loyalities to principles and his 'revelation' that he was closer to the NDA than the UPA had brought out his true colours, Mr Sindhya said.

He said Mr Gowda derived the maximum benefit for himself and his family in the name of secularism and was now seeking to align with Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

He also indicated that the JD(S) would align with Jan Morcha, headed by former Prime Minister V P Singh, in Uttar Pradesh. The party would also finalise its plans for the Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur polls, he said.

The JD(S), he said, would be contesting local bodies elections in Delhi and Mumbai.

On the SEZ, he said while his party was for industrial growth, allowing foreign companies on Indian territory to set up factories offering all kinds of exemptions and allow them to dump their products in India was an issue worth a second look. The Government could not shut its eyes to the scope for misuse of law, he said.

Mr Sindhya, a one time loyalist of Mr Gowda, said his party was keeping the Election Commission apprised of the developments, including the decision to remove Mr Gowda from the post of President and replace him with Mr Surendra Mohan.

Mr Veerendra Kumar has been made the Chairman of the Central Parliamentary Board, which will finalise the party's nominations in the future elections.

UNI