NDA petitions Kalam on 'tainted' ministers

Claiming credit for the resignation of Coal Minister Sibu Soren from the government and keeping up the pressure on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the opposition BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) met President APJ Abdul Kalam here yesterday and asked him to have all the "tainted" ministers removed.

A 27-member delegation led by former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, pointed out to the President that he had the "moral" responsibility of protecting the Constitution and should advise the Prime Minister to drop all the "tainted" ministers.

"We feel that the President himself should take up the issue of ensuring that the tainted ministers are out of the government," Advani told reporters adding as the constitutional head the President has the right to give advice to the government.

Advani described the inclusion of tainted ministers in the government a "blot", on the world's largest democracy, Advani said the country felt "outraged" that within two months of formation of a government, a minister should be "absconding" after a court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

"We stressed (to the President) that you are the constitutional head. You have moral position. A President takes oath to protect the constitution and by virtue of that oath, you have the moral authority", Advani said.

The delegation furnished to Kalam a list of "tainted" ministers and the charges against them. On the dropping of JMM leader and coal minister Shibu Soren from the government, Advani said it was a "little step after a great struggle by the opposition NDA."

"We want the government to take the issue to its logical conclusion", he said.