Adding to the simmering criticism against the alliance government in the State, the senior Janata Dal leader said, ``The rejection of the report which was not even referred to the legislature for consideration, will set a bad precedent on the seriousness of the government towards findings of such investigative commissions.''

Speaking to mediapersons after attending the convocation ceremony of Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Gowda described the matter as `very serious' and of `great concern.' A standard guideline regarding the code of conduct of respective state governments should be formulated so that the governments are made more accountable towards the reports of probe commissions, he said. ``If the reports of commissions headed by senior judges are going to be rejected outright, alleging one-sidedness, a situation mayarise when no judge is ready to head such commissions,'' he added. Asked about the United Front's stand over Sonia Gandhi's remark that Congress was ready to form a government at the Centre, Gowda replied that the UF was ready to extend its support to Congress if it staked its claim to form a government at the Centre.

Gowda, however, maintained that the nature of support would be external and that the UF would not participate in the government. ``The issue of power-sharing has yet not been decided by the steering committee of the Front,'' he said. Gowda observed that `internal problems' with its allies would lead to the fall of the Vajpayee government. However, he refused to predict the downfall of the BJP alliance at the Centre saying, ``There is no real danger of collapse as long as there are no major differences among the BJP and its allies.''

On the Cauvery water dispute, Gowda said the UF will take a stand on the issue only after the Supreme Court gave its final decision on the dispute. ``Currently,it is only the interim order which has been agreed upon and being implemented by the four concerned states,'' he said. Earlier, while addressing the passing out students of SIMS at the convocation ceremony held at Dhanvantari auditorium of Armed Forces Medical College, Gowda said that India was in a stage of radical transformation, gradually emerging as the economic power in Asia.

``This is also evident by the fact that the US government is under tremendous pressure from inland business sectors to lift economic sanctions imposed on India after the nuclear explosions,'' he said.

Over 200 successful students were awarded post graduate diplomas in business management and certificates of excellence at the hands of the former Prime Minister.