Saturday, January 7 2006 09:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhubaneswar: As the demand within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to pull out of the Naveen Patnaik-led government on the Kalinga nagar issue became louder, Orissa party president Jual Oram left for Delhi yesterday (Jan 06, 2006) to take up the matter with the central leadership.

Benumbed by the police firing in which 12 tribals were killed last Monday, several MPs, MLAs and party leaders have expressed the opinion that the BJP should either withdraw from the coalition or pulled out of the government and support the Patnaik regime from outside, party sources said.

Oram confirmed that rumblings were continuing within the party since the killings.

"It is true that some of our MPs, MLAs and party functionaries are very hurt and have even expressed the view that the party should pull out of the government and extend support to it from outside", Oram said.

"But such things cannot be decided here and I am leaving for Delhi to discuss the matter with the central leaders", he told sources before his departure.

He said that a four-member delegation led by him would meet party president Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders today to discuss the issue.

Oram, who had a meeting with party ministers, several legislators and other functionaries, said he was under pressure by the party MPs, MLAs and other leaders, both tribal and non-tribal, to take up the issue with the central leadership.

Thirteen of the 32 BJP members in the 147-member house are tribals.

The chief minister, however, said he was not aware of any such development. "I have not been informed", he said.

Meetings also continued after Oram's departure at the party headquarters with some senior ministers trying to pacify the angry legislators.

Some tribal legislators even openly expressed their view about the incident. "I don't want the party to continue as partner in the ruling coalition when our own people are killed in such manner", party MLA Gourahari Nayak said.