Saturday, February 25 2006 19:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress today (Feb 25 2006) gave a new turn to the audio CD controversy involving Amar Singh by demanding the SP General Secretary's arrest and consideration of imposition of President's rule in the state.

PCC President Salman Khurshid said that Amar Singh should be arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the wake of purported conversations in the CD in which he had allegedly talked about some "give and take."

He said that Amar Singh enjoyed Cabinet status in UP being Chairman of the State Development Council and could be proceeded against immediately in view of what he has "admitted" in an interview on the issue of the audio CD.

Besides, he said Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has also been "involved" in "controversial exchanges" about courts and judges, which raised questions of governance.

"If this is not violation of the Constitution, then what is it?" he asked adding that the development straightaway brings to the fore Article 356. At the same time, he said that the issue has to be deliberated and decided by those concerned.

A leading television channel had earlier this week said that it had audio CDs of his alleged conversations with a host of persons including one with Yadav in which the "removal" of a High Court judge figured.

Singh, however, has contended the tape could be "doctored, morphed and fabricated."