M A I N   N E W S

Joshi meets Vajpayee, discusses court verdict
Tribune News Service

New Delhi September 29
Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, who resigned as Minister for Human Resource Development on September 19 after a Special Court in Rae Bareli decided to frame charges against him in the Babri mosque demolition case, met the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today for over an hour.

Dr Joshi, whose resignation brought out the divisions within the Bharatiya Janata Party, had been waiting for the return of the Prime Minister from New York.

The BJP was of the view that Dr Joshi need not resign because the case was “politically motivated”. Going against the party’s official line, Dr Joshi had tendered the resignation on moral grounds, thus in a sense, flouting the party discipline.

The decision on Dr Joshi’s resignation now rests with the Prime Minister, who may also consult other leaders. Sources said that Mr Vajpayee had taken a strong exception to the affair and the party’s handling of Dr Joshi’s resignation issue.

After the hour-long meeting, Dr Joshi told newspersons the Prime Minister was “considering the matter”. Asked if Mr Vajpayee, who returned last night after a 13-day trip to Turkey and New York, had taken a decision on his resignation, he said: “I will disclose it at an appropriate time.”

The minister said he had discussed the issue with the Prime Minister and left the decision to him. “I will wait for his decision.”

Dr Joshi had sent his resignation the day the Special Court in Rae Bareli had discharged Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, but decided to frame charges against the HRD Minister and six others in the demolition case. Mr Vajpayee, who was in New York to attend the UN General Assembly session, had said he would take a decision on his return to Delhi. Dr Joshi said he had discussed the entire issue with Mr Vajpayee and this included the court verdict.

On the morning after the Prime Minister’s return from his fortnight-long foreign tour, Dr Joshi went to his Race Course Road residence and had an hour-long meeting with him.

To another query as to what exactly he discussed with the Prime Minister, the HRD Minister said: “This is between us.”

Meanwhile, Dr Joshi today filed a petition before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court challenging the Rae Bareli court’s decision against him and seeking a stay on the proceedings. Dr Joshi’s petition is likely to be heard tomorrow.