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Congress joins BJP rebels, seeks Modi's resignation:- Gandhinagar | March 10, 2005 5:55:05 PM IST Gandhinagar, Mar 10 : The opposition Congress party in Gujarat Thursday joined dissident legislators of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in seeking Chief Minister Narendra Modi's ouster. "Given the allegations from their own legislators, the Modi government must go," said Arjun Modhvadia, leader of opposition in the state assembly. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing budget session. The rebellion brewing in the BJP came to the fore as a large number of party legislators aired their grievances to former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, Modi's arch-rival. Modhvadia quoted excerpts from BJP MP A.K. Patel's letters to party president L.K. Advani as well as to Modi, in which Patel had made serious allegations. "A veteran leader of the BJP claims that Modi had instructed the tapping of phones of his foes within the party. In his letter this week to Modi, A.K. Patel has made allegations of corruption. "BJP legislators had earlier told the media that an emergency-like situation was prevailing in Gujarat," Modhvadia said. "Taking into consideration the statements of the BJP's own representatives, the Modi government must go. We demand an independent inquiry into these allegations," he said. Modi, however, looked relaxed, even as Keshubhai Patel and other senior BJP leaders supporting the rebels raised the issue at a BJP parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi Thursday morning. -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
