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President accepts AIADMK ministers' resignation

President K R Narayanan tonight accepted the resignation of the two All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ministers on the recommendation of Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, virtually ending all prospects of a rapprochement between the Bharatiya Janata Party and its estranged ally.

According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, the President accepted the resignation of Law Minister M Thambidurai and Minister of State for Finance K M R Janarthanam.

Both ministers had submitted their resignations following the Union Cabinet's rejection of AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha's demand that Defence Minister George Fernandes be shifted and dismissed naval chief Vishnu Bhagwat be reinstated.

Vajpayee's decision to accept the resignation came amid speculation that he had a telephonic talk with Jayalalitha this morning to ascertain whether her decision to withdraw the ministers was final.

Earlier, BJP spokesman K L Sharma warned the AIADMK against dissociating itself from the ruling coalition, saying it would be a "betrayal of the mandate" of the people of Tamil Nadu.

UNI

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