Rao Should Quit Cpp Post: Bjp

If Sukh Ram can be suspended why can't Rao, BJP vice president K L Sharma said. He demanded that the Congress should suspend Narasimha Rao the way it suspended former communications minister Sukh Ram.

The BJP had been maintaining that Advani and Rao could not be compared as the former had resigned from the Lok Sabha suo motu where as Rao resigned from party post under pressure from his party colleagues. It,however, failed short of making a formal demand for Rao's resignation from the Lok Sabha till yesterday. A party general secretary pointed out that demand for Rao's resignation from the lower House was inspired by BSP chief Kanshi Ram's charges against Advani which was causing embarrassment to the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Even Congress leaders were trying to make a virtue of Rao's resignation as if he had made a great sacrifice, he further pointed out.

Earlier the BJP had decided not to make a public demand for Rao's resignation as it did not wish to join issue with the Congress and had described the matter as the party's internal affairs. Party vice-president K L Sharma wanted to know the reason the Congress had not taken action against Rao when 19 cabinet ministers belonging to the party were forced to resign after chargesheets filed against them in corruption cases.