Govt, Sonia Gandhi dismisses BJP's demand for PM's resignation

New Delhi, April 23: Rejecting BJP's demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation, Government on Tuesday said "there is no basis" to it and sought dialogue to find "convergence" on all issues raised by them.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath also alleged that the BJP was using "diversionary politics by trying to draw the attention away from core issue."

"In the last nine years, the BJP has demanded the Prime Minister's resignation many many times. And there is no basis to this. The BJP is using diversionary politics by trying to draw the attention away from core issue," Nath said.

The Minister's statement came after the BJP intensified its attack on the government over the coal block allocation scam and demanded the resignation of Manmohan Singh and sacking of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.

The BJP Parliamentary Party, which met here under the chairmanship of L K Advani, passed a resolution in this regard and charged the government with suppressing the truth from coming out in the coal scam.

"Parliamentary democracy entails debate, discussion and that has to happen on the floor of the House. It can't happen on the street. So, I believe that by dialogue, we can find convergence on all issues. That will be my effort to ensure that we have convergence," Nath told reporters outside Parliament House.

"Let them ask" was the terse response of Congress President Sonia Gandhi when approached by reporters on the issue after a meeting of the Congress Core Group headed by her.

The meeting of the Core Group was convened immediately after both Houses were adjourned over the issue for half an hour on Monday morning.

The meeting, which was also attended by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath discussed the strategy ahead in wake of the Opposition reviving its attack on the government on the coalgate issue and bringing the Prime Minister as well under the target.

Keeping up the heat on the government, BJP today demanded resignation of Prime Minister on the coalgate issue.

Gandhi had on Monday also given an indication of the aggression in Congress' response to the Opposition's charges.

Addressing an alumni meet of NSU, she had asked partymen to fight back by not allowing its opponents "to get away with propagating negative impressions"."Why should we allow our opponents to get away with propagating negative impressions? You should ask them: "what have you or your party done to change things in our country ?" I have no doubt that they have no credible answer," Gandhi had said.

In the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, soon after Speaker Meira Kumar made a reference to Panchayati Raj Day, opposition members rushed to the Well raising slogans and waving placards on various issues.

BJP members rushed to the Well demanding resignation of the Prime Minister over the issue of coal block allocations.

Shouting slogans, they also demanded dismissal of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar who is alleged to have vetted the CBI report to the Supreme Court.