'No question of Bhardwaj's recall'

The Centre today rejected the demand for recall of Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj, with whom the ruling BJP has a running feud.

The Centre on Monday rejected the demand for recall of Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj, with whom the ruling BJP has a running feud.

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"There is no question of recalling the Governor", home minister P Chidambaram told a press conference in New Delhi when asked about BJP's demand for recall of Bhardwaj after his last week's report recommending a spell of President's rule in the state and keeping the assembly in suspended animation.

Notwithstanding the Centre's decision to reject the governor's recommendations, Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said on Monday that they would continue to press for the removal of the governor.

"The facts (in the Governor's report for imposition of President's rule) did not enable us to come to a conclusion with regards Article 356," he said explaining last night's decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) rejecting the governor's report.

He said, in arriving at the decision, the government was "mindful" of the Supreme Court's judgment on the issue, an apparent reference to the S R Bommai judgement, which put strict safeguards in regard to dismissal of a state government by the Centre.

Replying to questions, he said that the Centre would issue an advisory to the Karnataka government in the aftermath of the governor's report.

On the governor's recommendations, Chidambaram said the "Governor performed his duty and we took our decision".