Patil says will quit if Congress party desires

New Delhi, Sept 16 : Home Minister Shivraj Patil has said that he will quit from office if the Congress leadership desires.

Patil, who is under attack over his handling of internal security, said that there is no point staying on in a post if the leadership was not with him.

Patil said, "I am not in much demand. I am here just because of them (leadership).

"I have no group either. It's only that the leadership supports me that I continue to stay here," he said to a TV news channel.

The Congress has rubbished demands for Patil's resignation following the serial blasts in Delhi.

In fact, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told media persons, "Demands for the Home Minister's resignation at a grave time is nothing but cheap politics by the opposition party."

"How many such times the resignation of L K Advani (Home Minister during NDA regime) was demanded and the same always got rejected by his party," he added.

Singhvi's remarks came in the backdrop of an indirect attack on the handling of Home Ministry by Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and demand by opposition parties for his removal.

The Congress also sought the cooperation of all state governments and political parties to set up a Central agency to investigate terror-related crimes in the country.

On Monday the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi reviewed the country's internal security situation with senior party leaders but Home Minister Shivraj Patil, whose ministry is directly in-charge of security of Delhi, was conspicuous by his absence.

ANI