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Dear friend,
This week, the nation has heaved a sigh of relief that a sinister conspiracy against democracy has been foiled. For the BJP, the week has indeed been a challenging one.
At twelve noon, on Sunday, October 19, BSP leader Ms Mayawati announced withdrawal of BSP support to the Kalyan Singh Government of Uttar Pradesh. Right from that moment to the evening of Wednesday, October 22, when a hopelessly divided United Front Government finally decided to abandon its perverse plans of imposing President's Rule on Uttar Pradesh, the entire nation had been watching with bated breath the goings-on in Lucknow and New Delhi.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday-just four days! But rarely has a period so brief been packed with so many ups and downs, and with such political excitement. During the period, BJP activists and supporters were really swinging between hope and despair at a dizzying pace.
The BJP believes that the process triggered off by Governor Romesh Bhandari's report to the Centre, recommending President's Rule even after the Kalyan Singh Government had demonstrated that it commanded on absolute majority in the Assembly, was part of a conspiracy in which the Governor was an active participant. If the conspiracy had succeeded,. the fabric of Indian democracy would have been gravely mutilated. The conspiracy did not succeed mainly because of three factors:
(a) The Rashtrapati's constitutional uprightness;
(b) The BJP's vigilance and its resolve to go to the people on this issue; and,
(c) The presence in Government of a few conscientious individuals like Shri Indrajit Gupta.
All told, democracy has won a signal victory. If the hero of this drama has been a constitutional dignitary, President K.R. Narayanan, the villain also has been another constitutional dignitary, Governor Romesh Bhandari.
Any other person in Shri Romesh Bhandari's place, I am sure. by now would have voluntarily quit the Lucknow Raj Bhavan. His patently mendacious report has made the Central Government suffer embarrassment and ignominy. But he unabashedly continues to stay put in his office.
The dignity of the gubernatorial office and the interests of Uttar Pradesh demand that Shri Romesh Bhandari be recalled without any delay.
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