India Premier Offers to Quit After Protests

Indian Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh offered to resign Saturday after three Cabinet ministers quit in protest over an incident they claimed violated his pledge to restore honesty to government.

The government was plunged into turmoil when Singh sent in his resignation to the ruling National Front coalition and his own Janata Dal party.

Fears that the eight-month-old government might collapse were played down by Janata Dal President S.R. Bommai, who told a news conference he refused to accept the resignation and is confident that Singh will continue as prime minister.

Singh submitted his resignation after two of his Cabinet colleagues and a junior minister resigned Friday after Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, a powerful peasant leader from Haryana state, had his son Om Prakash Chautala elected as state chief minister.

Chautala had resigned as chief minister less than two months ago after 13 people were killed in a by-election he was contesting.

Three junior ministers also resigned Saturday, calling for the ouster of Lal’s son as Haryana chief minister.

Bommai summoned a meeting of senior party leaders Saturday night and said he would convene a session of the National Front coalition partners today in an effort to resolve the crisis.