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

"There is no question of recalling the governor," home minister P Chidambaram said at a press conference here 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 governor's recommendations, Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said today 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 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".
Chidambaram said that advisories have been issued to state governments from time to time like at the time of attacks on minorities in Karnataka and on the issue of armed camps in West Bengal.

This is done to draw the state governments' attention, he said.

Asked what was contained in the advisory, he said, "don't indulge in corruption".

"Here (centre) too?" a reporter asked to which Chidambaram replied "yes".

Though the centre has not accepted the governor's recommendations, Chidambaram said he did not think anything wrong with the governor raising various issues.

"But the fact remains, the supreme court set aside the speaker's order disqualifying 16 MLAs and made observations which any fair-minded person will know are very strong strictures against the speaker," he said.

Previous stories:

Notwithstanding centre rejecting H R Bhardwaj's recommendation on imposing president's rule in Karnataka, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday said he would continue to demand the recall of the governor, who "acted in a partisan manner".

"I compliment the government of India for taking the decision not to accept the Karnataka governor's recommendation to keep the assembly in suspended animation. It is a great victory for democracy and for my government which enjoys a clear majority," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

After the centre rejected his recommendation last night, Bhardwaj gave his consent to the cabinet's recommendation to convene the assembly session from June 2.

However, this did not placate Yeddyurappa and the BJP and the party has decided not to give up its demand for the governor's recall.

"This was nothing but a political conspiracy of the Congress party. This is an attack on the federal structure of the country and recommendations of the Sarkaria commission on centre-state relationships," Yeddyurappa said.

Sources close to the chief minister maintained that he will return to the capital after a week and meet prime minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram to press for Bhardwaj's removal. Singh left for a week-long visit to Ethiopia and Tanzania this morning.

"The centre's decision clearly exhibits that the governor has acted hastily and in a partisan manner. It is high time that the centre recall the governor immediately," Yeddyurappa said. .
Yeddyurappa insisted that the governor did not pay heed to the Karnataka cabinet resolution for convening of the session soon after the supreme court quashed the speaker's decision disqualifying 11 rebel BJP MLAs.

Bhardwaj rejected the government's offer of a floor test and instead sent a report to the centre recommending president's rule.

"The cabinet had passed a resolution on May 16 to convene the session. A delegation of ministers had met the governor on May 16 and requested for his consent. It is now obvious that the union government has rejected the governor's action," he said.

Asked about UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's comments yesterday that some opposition parties were not acting against their corrupt chief ministers, Yeddyurappa said, "The entire country knows very well what is happening at the centre. I will reply to it at the appropriate time."

The chief minister met senior party leaders L K Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley here. He thanked the NDA Chief ministers who had written letters to the centre against the Karnataka governor's behaviour.

He also thanked Singh, Chidambaram and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee for "this appropriate decision to uphold the true democratic decision".

Yeddyurappa also had a message for the opposition MLAs who have been targeting him.

"I sincerely hope the opposition will realise the folly at least now and extend constructive cooperation to the government," he said.

Meanwhile, sources said the government will not go for a floor test in the assembly when it meets on June 2 as it had paraded 114 party MLAs and shown letters of support of seven more to president Pratibha Patil.

Asked if the 11 rebel MLAs who are now back in the BJP camp will be accommodated through a cabinet expansion, sources close to the chief minister said it would take place only after the 15-day session gets over.