BJP sticks to demand for PM's resignation

Notwithstanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's rejection of its demand to step down, BJP today said it will continue to seek his ouster as government has "lost the confidence" of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

BJP also attacked the government for its alleged failure in ensuring smooth conduct of Parliament and said it had only sought an adjournment motion to discuss the issue of alleged involvement of Prime Minister's Office in the Coal scam.

The opposition party also attacked the Prime Minister for trying to save Law Minister Ashwani Kumar by rejecting demands for his resignation in the wake of his alleged interference in the CBI report on the coal scam and said he was "trying to thank him for saving him".

"We are clear that the Prime Minister resigns first and then we will discuss anything else," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said here today.

Asked why BJP was insisting on PM's resignation, he said, "A lot of questions have been raised on why BJP is demanding Prime Minister's resignation. Going by the sequence of events, it is clear that the government has lost the confidence of all the three - the judiciary, the executive and the judiciary.

"The government that has lost the confidence of the executive, legislature and the judiciary and when the involvement of the Prime Minister's Office has been directly proved, then why should we not demand the Prime Minister's resignation," he said.

On the Prime Minister rejecting demands that the Law Minister resign, he said, "The Prime Minister has in a way thanked Ashwani Kumar for saving him in the Coal scam."