Taking strong exception to the directive, party general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu said today that such directives were issued only after the poll schedule was announced and the model code of conduct came into force. The EC could not appropriate powers to bring governance to a halt, he said, adding that the EC should take the Union government into confidence before issuing such statements.

Taking a cue from Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, Naidu reacted to AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha's diatribe against Home Minister LK Advani, saying that the AIADMK was part of the ruling coalition at the Centre and ``we are against public airing of perceptional differences''. Neither Advani nor any other senior BJP functionary had givenher any assurance on action against the DMK government, so the question of forgetting the promise did not arise, he added.

He restated the BJP's views on Article 356 - that it should be used only if the situation called for Central intervention and there was a constitutional breakdown. As for Bihar, Naidu criticised the Rabri Devi government, saying that the Cabinet had arrogated to itself the right to withdraw a resolution (on formation of Vananchal) passed by the State Assembly. ``It is a property of the House and cannot be unilaterally withdrawn,'' he said.