NEW DELHI, 9 February 2005 — Describing the dismissal of the BJP government in Goa as “murder of democracy”, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance launched a nationwide campaign yesterday.

Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, BJP President L.K. Advani and NDA convenor George Fernandes were among the key leaders who took part in a sit-in demonstration in Delhi over the issue.

Questioning the “undemocratic and unconstitutional” sacking of the BJP government in Goa, Advani criticized the poor democratic record of the Congress and also invoked the emergency period of 1975-77.

“The Congress always claims to support democratic rule, but when it thinks democracy will threaten its government or come in the way of power, it does not hesitate before trampling democracy,” Advani said.

Recalling the emergency period, Advani said: “In 57 years of our proud and glorious democracy, it was during the 19 months of emergency rule that victims like us wondered about its future. But democratic rule was re-established.”

The demonstration was being held a kilometer away from the parliament house. Against the backdrop of posters and flags, the opposition leaders shouted: “Down with dictatorship.” Targeting Goa Governor S.C. Jamir, for having dismissed the BJP-led government and passing on the office to the Congress party, the BJP leaders shouted: “Oust Jamir for murdering democracy.”

Criticizing the manner in which the Goa governor had dismissed BJP’s government, party leader Madan Lal Khurana said: “If any governor dismisses a government, he or she has to find out if the government has the majority. This is the first time that a governor has dismissed a government within 15 minutes of a speaker’s decision.”

NDA will launch a weeklong protest in Goa from today. Senior party leader Jaswant Singh will launch the stir and Advani will participate in its concluding program on February 16.

Meanwhile, denying the charges against him, Governor Jamir said that the state assembly speaker had left him with no option but that of dismissing the state government. By illegally disqualifying an independent MLA (who was physically removed from the assembly), the speaker had tilted the scales in favor of the former chief minister Manohar Parikar, Jamir said.

Parikar will file a petition in the Bombay High Court today against the dismissal of his government, sources said.

Anxious to politically cash in on Goa-related developments to at least earn media-coverage, NDA leaders appear bent on making as much noise as possible about the issue. BSP leader Mayawati is trying her hand at a similar strategy, though her focus of attention is her old political rival, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. In protest against the murder her party MLA Raju Pal (on January 25), she has threatened to launch second phase of her party’s agitation in UP, if the center does not dismiss the state government by March 20. Along this line, Mayawati said yesterday in Lucknow: “BSP reiterates its demand to the center and UP Governor T.V. Rajeswar for dismissal of the corrupt Mulayam Singh Yadav government and imposition of President’s rule in the state without any further delay.”

She further said: “If no action is taken by the center by March 20, the BSP will hold the 2nd phase of its agitation on March 31 during which one-day protest demonstrations will be held in all the 403 assembly constituencies of the state.”

Kalam Back in Rashtrapati Bhavan

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was discharged yesterday from the Army Research and Referral Hospital, where he was treated for a fractured shoulder. The President had hurt himself after a fall during a walk in the herbal gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday. The gardens had been slippery due to a steady morning drizzle.

In the hospital, Kalam underwent through a non-invasive corrective procedure on Monday.

‘’The President is back in Rashtrapati Bhavan and is doing fine,’’ spokesman S.M. Khan said. He is permitted to resume normal office work within the Rasthrapati Bhavan, he said.

The president is not yet permitted to use the fractured shoulder. The doctors would review his condition after a few days before taking a decision on allowing him to use the fractured shoulder.