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Constituents of the National Democratic Alliance on Thursday continued to mount pressure for the resignation of Defence Minister George Fernandes over the defence deals scam issue, with the Janata Dal-United saying Fernandes's exit would facilitate an impartial probe into the matter.
"Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee should accept the resignation offered by Fernandes. We support the defence minister's stand as this will not only embellish the image of the government but also facilitate an impartial probe," JD-U leader in the Lok Sabha, Devendra Prasad Yadav told PTI in New Delhi.
Asked what would be his party's stand in case Fernandes did not resign, Yadav said, "We will take some decision. A meeting of the 10-member JD-U parliamentary party will be held tomorrow or the day after to discuss the matter."
JD-U president Sharad Yadav had already made it clear that his party would not make any compromise on the issue of corruption.
Trinamul Congress on Wednesday had demanded Fernandes's resignation, saying he had no moral right to continue in office in the wake of the expose.
Devendra Yadav said as the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha he would write to the prime minister to press the demand.
He said since the government had expressed its readiness to hold any type of probe, it would be in the fitness of things if Fernandes relinquished the post of defence minister. "This will facilitate an impartial inquiry."
"The stand adopted by Fernandes was very correct. Vajpayee should have accepted his resignation offer," Yadav said, adding that Fernandes should stick to the stand to ensure dignity of the probe.
Another senior JD-U MP, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, said his party would never compromise on the issue of corruption.
He said defence deals were sensitive matters pertaining to national security and any corruption in such issues should be probed thoroughly and the guilty should not be spared.
PTI
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