NEW DELHI, July 19 — In a brazen attempt at arm-twisting of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, the three Shiv Sena ministers in the Union Council of Ministers — Mr Manohar Joshi, Mr Suresh Prabhu and Mr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil — submitted their resignations to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee here today.

In a coordinated move, Mr Joshi, Mr Prabhu and Mr Patil put in their papers in protest against the Maharashtra government’s decision to prosecute their leader, Mr Bal Thackeray, for allegedly stoking riots in 1993 following the carnage at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

As expected, Mr Vajpayee rejected the resignations but the inimitable Shiv Sena leader has unleashed his gambit of political one-upmanship which is bound to cause worrisome moments for the BJP leadership.

The downcast Shiv Sena ministers claimed they had resigned because the Shiv Sena chief needed them back in Maharashtra. They called on Mr Vajpayee, and the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, in the evening as part of the Shiv Sena’s pressure tactics that their support could not be taken for granted. Just for the sake of form they sought central intervention to prevent the prosecution of Mr Thackeray.

The timing of the resignations is indeed significant as the monsoon session of Parliament begins four days later on July 24. The Thackeray issue has the potential of whipping up a cacophony in the two Houses of Parliament just as the controversy whipped by the autonomy resolution adopted by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been brought under control at least for the time being.

Mr Joshi and Mr Prabhu are Cabinet Ministers overseeing the portfolios of Heavy Industries and Chemicals and Fertiliser respectively while Mr Patil is the Minister of State for Finance.

As Mr Thackeray has demanded the summary dismissal of the ruling Democratic Front or the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party coalition government in Maharashtra for ordering his prosecution, it is only natural that the three ministers in their capacity as lesser mortals in the Shiv Sena make an impact in espousing the cause of their leader.

It is not at anybody’s whims and fancy that a duly elected state government can be dismissed. The NDA has already burnt its fingers badly in invoking Article 356 and paid a heavy price in Bihar. Therefore, it is well nigh impossible in agreeing to Mr Thackeray’s demand solely because the Shiv Sena leader finds himself caught on a sticky wicket.

The ruling Democratic Front’s move in Maharashtra to target Mr Thackeray is in keeping with a carefully thought out political strategy. The wily NCP strongman in Maharashtra, Mr Sharad Pawar, and his colleagues have singled out Mr Thackeray for special treatment essentially to create dissension in the ranks of the BJP and the Shiv Sena.

The Democratic Front in Mumbai is on a high. It maintains no effort will be spared in maintaining law and order in the crucial western state despite threats that the country will be in flames if Mr Thackeray is arrested. They believe that if the Shiv Sainiks go on the rampage, the Shiv Sena’s image is bound to take another severe beating.

This, according to the Democratic Front leaders is evidenced by the disquiet expressed by the people at large to the stray incidents to whip up tension in Mumbai and some other parts of Maharashtra. Mumbaikars and the people at large are highly averse to disturbances and life being thrown out of gear for political mileage.

Though the Democratic Front government’s order to proceed against Mr Thackeray is yet to reach the police authorities in Mumbai, elections for 11 state Legislative Council seats are scheduled to be held next Monday. The Legislative Council elections are perceived as a test for the Democratic Front in Maharashtra and has the makings of a keenly contested one.

UNI adds: Mr Vajpayee summoned Law Minister Ram Jethmalani and directed him to study the demands made by the Shiv Sena after the three ministers met him.

Leader of the Shiv Sena parliamentary party Anant Geete said sena mps would not attend Parliament session beginning on July 24 until a decision was taken on the arrest of their leader Bal Thackeray and sought the Centre’s immediate intervention in the matter.

Mr Anant Geete said the three Shiv Sena ministers of the NDA Government would not withdraw their resignations even as the Prime Minister had refused to accept the resignations. “A decision (on withdrawing the resignations) will be taken only after meeting Mr Balasaheb Thackeray,’’ he said.

Mr Geete was among the 15 MPs who met Home Minister L.K. Advani at his office this evening demanding the Centre’s immediate intervention in the matter.

Emerging after the 30-minute meeting with the Home Minister, Mr Manohar Joshi said the Home Minister had assured them that the Centre would do whatever was possible to avert the situation from worsening.

He said the Centre had taken the matter very seriously and would consult Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Jethmalani.

“We had to apprise the Home Minister of the real situation. Our purpose is solved,” he added.