No President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh: Left

New Delhi, Jan 11: The Left parties today said they were opposed to the imposition of President's Rule or dissolution of the Assembly in Uttar Pradesh where there in a stand-off between the Chief Minister and the Governor over the convening of the House.

The CPI(M) and the CPI said the ''extreme step'' will be in contravention of the parliamentary norms.

The Left also asked the Congress to rein in UP Governor T V Rajeshwar who they said, had acted in a hasty manner by proroguing the state assembly.

The parties asked the Congress to refrain from taking any decision which could lead to the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly or imposition of President's Rule to deny the office of the caretaker Chief Minister to Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav as and when the Assembly elections are held.

The Left leaders said the Congress' ''misadventure'' could ultimately benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Mr Rajeshwar yesterday prorogued the state assembly. Mr Yadav wanted to convene the assembly to prove his majority after Rashtriya Lok Dal withdrew three of its ministers from the Government.

At two meetings, the Cabinet reiterated its decision that the assembly be convened on January 15.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said the constitutional crisis in Uttar Pradesh is a self-inflicted wound by the Congress.

''The governor's behaviour in proroguing the House cannot be justified. For any government to prove majority, the real place is the floor of the House,'' he said.

CPI National Secretary Shamim Faizi said the Governor's ''unilateral'' decision like proroguing the House when there is a clear recommendation of the state Cabinet, simply revealed that it was an attempt to bypass parliamentary norms and procedures.

Mr Faizi suggested ways must be found to undo what had been done by Mr Rajeshwar.

CPI(M) senior leader and polit bureau member M K Pandhe hoped the Congress would not take ''any extreme step'' in this regard.

''The way they (Congress) are behaving looks like it is playing politics which ultimately benefit others than the 'secular forces'.

You know the 'secular forces' are divided in the state,'' he added.

The CPI(M) veteran hoped that the ''Congress misadventure'' would not help the BJP or the BSP to stage a comeback in UP.

UNI

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