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Railway Minister and Trinamul Congress President Mamta Banerjee on Wednesday threatened that her party would reconsider support to National Democratic Alliance government unless "the resignation" of Defence Minister George Fernandes is accepted and the allegations made in the tehelka.com's video footage are investigated.
In a letter to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which was released to the press, Banerjee said Fernandes has resigned owning moral responsibility in the highest traditions of democratic functioning. His resignation should be accepted pending investigation, she said.
There has been no official confirmation in the wake of the expose that Fernandes has resigned, but sources close to him had said that he had offered to resign but that the Cabinet turned it down.
Demanding a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, a sitting Supreme Court judge or the CBI, Banerjee said since the entire issue related to defence deals, all the officials named in the video footage must not continue in office.
Since lapse of time was causing irreparable damage to the image of the government and the country internationally, it was essential that all the steps suggested by her should be initiated by the government, Banerjee said, adding "in case such actions are not taken, All India Trinamul Congress will be left with no alternative but to reconsider continuing its support to the NDA government."
"Specific allegations have also been made in the video footage and the transcript against certain highly placed officials. The whole nation is convinced about the integrity of the prime minister. No bureaucrat should be allowed to tarnish that. Officials whose names figure must be asked to go till the investigations are over," she said.
Her party would help in restoring the damaged image of the government in people's mind, Banerjee said.
PTI
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