Tuesday, January 24 2006 16:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of misleading the President on the Bihar Assembly dissolution, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani today (Jan 24, 2006) demanded his resignation after the Supreme Court verdict.

"The Supreme Court observations may seem harsher against Governor Buta Singh, but the culpability of the Prime Minister is evidently greater because it was he who convened the meeting of the Council of Ministers at the dead of the night and it is he who was instrumental in misleading the President in this regard," Advani told a news conference here.

"The judgement in totality suggests if Governor has misled the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister as head of the Council of Ministers has misled the president in committing an unconstitutional act," he said. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will seek a meeting with President A P J Abdul Kalam and submit a memorandum on the issue, Advani said, adding he had spoken to NDA convenor George Fernandes in this regard.

Advani described as 'gross contempt of court' Governor Buta Singh's remarks 'immediately after the indictment' that he would take salute in Patna on Republic Day.

"For an indicted person to talk in this arrogant manner is adding insult to injury. From a democratic viewpoint, this will have far reaching consequences", he said.

The verdict, he said, "indicated that the Governor's report was motivated to prevent someone from taking office".

"When the Prime Minister convened a cabinet meeting at the dead of the night, he was sub serving the same motive which had prompted the Governor - preventing duly elected representatives of people from forming a legitimate Government", the BJP leader said.

He said though going by language and phrases, the court's accusation may seem harsher against the Governor, "the culpability of the Prime Minister is evidently greater because he convened a meeting in the dead of the night and it was he who was instrumental in misleading the President".

Advani said he has spoken to NDA Convener George Fernandes on the issue and the opposition alliance "proposed to submit a memorandum to the President in this regard".

Asked about the court's suggestion for a National Policy outlining common norms for appointment of Governors, he said the inter-state council had not accepted it but the NDA Government used to not only consult but also appoint Governors with the consent of the states.

He said BJP had an open mind if the issue was reconsidered by the Inter-State Council.

Asked why BJP was not blaming the President for accepting the cabinet's recommendation, he said in the Bommai case, it was held that under Article 356, the President was bound to accept the advice of the council of Ministers.