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Vajpayee, Modi cannot co-exist: Shambhu Srivastava

Samata Party leader Shambhu Srivastava, who quit as general secretary and spokesman, on Thursday night warned that if Bharatiya Janata Party insisted on retaining Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister, the Vajpayee government would 'collapse'.

Srivastava said on his return from Patna that it should be clear to Samata Party and other National Democratic Alliance partners and particularly the BJP that the Centre under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Gujarat under Modi 'cannot co-exist for any appreciable length of time'.

"If BJP insists on retaining Modi, it is a matter of time before the Vajpayee government collapses. If it wants to save NDA, then Modi will have to go. Sooner it is realised, the better it is for NDA, Samata Party and BJP," he said.

Replying to another question, he said the 'somersault' by the party on the issue of Modi's removal in the wake of communal violence in the state 'will damage the image of the party and it is bound to cost the party politically'.

Asserting that he would stick to his decision, Srivastava maintained that he would continue to serve the party as an ordinary member.

"There is no question of withdrawing my resignation. I have taken a stand and will stick to it. My resignation letter is with party President V V Krishna Rao and its copy has been forwarded to senior party leader and Defence Minister George Fernandes," he added.

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