Congress demands Shekhawat resignation

Jaipur, June 30: The Congress today urged Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat either to quit the post or withdraw from the fray in the July 19 Presidential election.

Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesman Mohan Prakash urged Mr Shekhawat to come clear over his ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS).

Mr Prakash said his party wanted that the Vice-President House should not be converted into a campaign ground in the presidential election for Mr Shekhawat.

Moreover, the BJP and Mr Shekhawat's campaigners had constantly been raking up ''false and baseless'' issues in their ''smeaors campaign'' against ruling UPA-Left combine's nominee Ms Pratibha Patil and keeping in view the decorum of the post of Vice-President the Congress was maintaining self restraint in giving a befitting reply, to the allegations.

''We can also bring before the public certain facts about Mr Shekhawat's past and political life but we regard high his constitutional post and do not want to violate decorum,'' Mr Prakash said.

''Therefore, either Mr Shekhawat should quit as vice-President or withdraw from the election,'' the Congress leader said.

He said the party would wait for Mr Shekhawat's reply till the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers and thereafter finalise its further course of action''.

The ruling party also took exception to the Vice-President's presence in various functions organised by the RSS. ''Mr Shekhawat has participated in a number of programmes hosted by the RSS and recently too he had attended a function organised by the Hindu outfit in the capital therefore, he should make public his ties with RSS public, the Congress leader said.

He also made a dig at BJP leadership's move of fielding Mr Shekhawat for the presidency as an Independent candidate without having adequate votes for his win.

Describing BJP's move as a political gimick Mr Prakash said it was ridiculous that the announcement for Mr Shekhawat's entry into the fray as an Independent candidate did not come from the Vice-President himself but from the BJP leadership.

He also raised doubts over intentions of BJP leadership behind move of fielding Mr Shekhawat.

''A section of BJP leadership wanted to settle old scores with Mr Shekhawat as these leaders have not forgotten bitter defeats of certain BJP top leadership in various elections in Rajasthan during his regime,'' Mr Prakash said.

This section of BJP leadership was keen on seeing Mr Shekhawat conceding a bitter defeat in the presidential polls, the Congress spokesman added.

UNI

Related Stories