From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: Orissa Chief Minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik was made
to submit his regisignation from the post much against his
wishes, though he appeared in a revolting mood to defy the high
command's directive to step down after reaching Bhubaneshwar.

The Congress officially announced that he had resigned accepting
moral responsibility for his administration's failure to provide
security to the Christians under ghastly attacks in the state.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi obtained his resignation from
the chief ministership before he flew back to Orissa even as
back home his supporter MLAs rose in unison protesting against
his "sacrifice" at the altar of the Hindu communalists'
anti-christian drive.

Though Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi claimed it was up to Sonia
Gandhi to take decision on the resignation "in due course", AICC
General Secretary incharge Orissa was forthright that "we will
have to make a new arrangement as the Congress has tradition to
accept such resignations."

Patnaik seems in a revolting mood as even before flying back
Tuesday morning, he asserted that he had not resigned from the
post in the wake of violence against the Christians. "I have not
resigned, nor did I offer to resign," he asserted, blaming the
dissidents for spreading "rumours."

It is to be seen whether Patnaik quietly tenders resignation
which may not come immediately in any case as he will have to
wait for arrival of Andhra Pradesh Governor C Rangarajan, who is
also acting governor of Orissa, to complete the formality.

The party sources said Patnaik has already been warned not to
try to upstage any kind of revolt against the party decision to
remove him from the post.  

For the record sake, Jogi told reporters at the daily AICC Press
briefing that Patnaik has owned the moral responsibility and
"keeping with high tradition of the party offered to resign when
he met the Congress President and has submitted the resignation
to her."

He said morality demands that the BJP should take lesson from
what the Congress has done to still confidence in the hearts of
the minorities. His reference was obviously towards Gujarat
where the BJP is in power and from where began the Christians'
hue and cry for a series of attacks on their religious places,
schools and other institutions.

BJP spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu, however, brushed aside the
Congress postures, pointing out that nobody knows what has
happenned to Patnaik, whether he tendered resignation or
proposed it or it was demanded. The chief ministers' resignation
has a meaning only when it goes to the governor, he remarked.

When told that Patnaik had only Monday night ruled out
resignation and claimed "everything all right" after his late
night meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Jogi shot back: "That is our
Congress tradition. We will not tell you first. He wanted to
tell about his resignation first to the Congress. That is why he
did not tell you....."

Asked whether Patnaik had owned up the moral responsibility for
failure to stop the continuing attacks on the Christian minority
people in the state, Jogi was quick to assert that "it should
not be interpreted like that."

"In our assessment, the Orissa incidents were not isolated as we
see a design and planned effort to bring fascism and communalism
at the centre stage" by conducting series of incidents in
various states be they Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra or many other states, Jogi affirmed.

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi has not yet finalised name of the
successor. She was busy consulting the senior party leaders and
the party sources said she may even convene a quick Congress
Working Committee meeting to put a stamp on selection of the new
candidate for the chief ministership.

For the past one month, the Orissa dissidents have been lying
low after the Congress President had warned them that she does
not want their demand for removing Patnaik to come via the Media. 

The Party sources said Patnaik had no reason any longer to
accuse the dissidents for deliberately creating an atmosphere
against him and hence he could not answer to Sonia Gandhi's
pointed questions as to why no arrests were made in any of the
incidents against the Christians. Patnaik wanted to give
explanation but Sonia Gandhi ended the meeting with him just in
minutes telling him that "Patnaikji it is better for you and the
Congress that you resign."

Before flying back, Patnaik had a meeting with AICC General
Secretary Pranab Mukherjee but the latter expressed helplessness
in persuading Sonia Gandhi to change her mind, it is learnt. END.
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(see our previous story)