Appointees of NDA govt resign

With the Manmohan Singh government taking over at the Centre, key political appointees of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, including Brajesh Mishra, principal secretary to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and National Security Adviser, as also Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee have resigned from their posts.

The resignation of Mishra has been accepted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with effect from May 22, it was officially announced today.

Keeping with the established convention, Sorabjee sent in his resignation from the constitutional post hours after the new government assumed office last Saturday.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the 74-year-old constitutional expert said: "In keeping with the established convention I am tendering my resignation from the office of Attorney General of India so as to enable your government to take a decision in the matter of appointment of the Attorney General."

NN Vohra, the NDA government's interlocutor on Kashmir, submitted his resignation to Singh, a day after the new government was sworn in.

Vohra, whose efforts had resulted in two rounds of talks between the Hurriyat Conference and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, quit the post citing that his appointment had been made by the previous NDA government, they said.

The Congress-led government is yet to take a decision on whether to continue with Vohra or appoint someone else to continue the dialogue process.

Vohra had been appointed as the Centre's pointman in February 2003 to hold talks with various groups of Jammu and Kashmir to bring about peace in the state. Vajpayee's media advisor Ashok Tandon has also tendered his resignation.

Delhi's Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor has also requested the Prime Minister to appoint a new person in his place.