Cong demands resignation of UP govt

A day after withdrawing support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, Congress on Thursday demanded its resignation saying since the parties which had helped form the government three years ago had withdrawan their support, this government has no moral right to continue.

Briefing newsmen outside Raj Bhavan after handing over a letter to Governor T V Rajeswar intimating him of the party's decision to withdraw support to the Mulayam Singh government, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Salman Khursheed and Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tewari said that since the parties -- Rastriya Kranti Party of Kalyan Singh, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Congress, which had helped the government in its formation had withdrawn their support, it has lost the moral ground to continue, and therefore it should resign.

The two leaders, however, remained evasive on weather the Congress would vote against the trust motion if it was moved by the Mulayam Singh government in the Vidhan Sabha.

"We will have to see the language of the trust motion and also ascertain the intention of the government in this regard," they said on the question of voting on the trust vote.

But both leaders asserted that they did not want the government to continue for even a single day and the message is clear to the masses.

On the possibility of whether Congress could move a no confidence motion against the government, Tewari said for this we don't have the required strength of 1/5 in the Vidhan Sabha.

Only Bharatiya Janata Party with 83 members in the 403-member House has the strength required for this and it was not going to do so.

Congress leaders also lodged a protest with the governor on reported statements of two ministers of the Mulayam Singh government that they will shorten the size of the parties opposing the government saying that this was indicative that the government planned for large scale horse-trading, which should not be allowed at any cost