Friday, April 7 2006 16:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The BJP today (Apr 7, 2006) demanded resignation of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the wake of CBI raids in connection with the Navy war room leak, accusing him of mileading the country with his comment in Parliament that the secret information which went out was merely commercial in nature.

"The Defence Minister, by misleading Parliament and the nation, has forfeited his right to occupy the office he holds and as such we demand that he should resign forthwith," BJPspokesman Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

His comments came in the wake of the arrests of five persons during CBI raids over the case. Javadekar, who insisted that the war room leak and the Scorpene submarine deal were linked together, accused Mukherjee of attempt to cover up the alleged scandal.

He cited a magazine interview by a relative of Naval chief Arun Prakash to support his charges that the Defence Minister was well aware of the leak well before it became public.

"Why all the civilans involved in the war room leak case have not been arrested so far? Why has the government not named and taken action against the foreigners whom the Navy has referred to in its affidavit over the case?" Javadekar asked.

Also, he asked why the government had not ordered an inquiry into an alleged payment of Rs 225 crore by a Zurich trust to an alleged middleman involved in the Scorpene deal.

"The complicity of the Government (in the case) and its diversionary tactics are badly exposed," Javadekar said.