North Block officials say a defiant Gujarat Government has shot down the Union Home Ministry's ``recommendation'' to take punitive action against all those officials who failed to check the ``anti-social'' elements in time.

The Home Ministry, in particular, has asked for immediate transfer of the district collectors of Surat and the Dangs. The ``request'' (as a senior Ministry official put it) was sent four days ago, but obviously the Gujarat Government is not in a mood to listen.

Union Home Secretary B P Singh himself made the request for the collectors' transfer when he spoke to the Gujarat Chief Secretary four days ago. But much to Singh's discomfiture -- he is believed to have discussed the matter with other Ministry officials -- the transfers are yetto take place.

The Home Ministry has sought the collectors' transfer on the basis of a report filed by Special Special M B Kaushal on his return from the state last week. According to senior Ministry officials, the two collectors erred when they allowed the VHP-Bajrang Dal as well as the Christians to take out processions in Dangs and Surat, and thereby allowed the situation to slip out of control.

Senior officials are now trying to explain away the Gujarat Government's rigid stand on the transfers as an insignificant development, but even they admit that this may not be the best of times for Vajpayee to set foot in the state.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked the Home Ministry to furnish it with all the relevant documents pertaining to the attacks on Christians. In the morning, Union Home Minister L K Advani met Vajpayee and briefed him in detail about the situation. However, it is not clear if and when the Home Minister will visit Gujarat. Officials in the PMO said they were working onVajpayee's tour and in all likelihood he could leave for Gujarat on Saturday.

In the evening, Vajpayee visited President K R Narayanan at Rashtrapati Bhavan and discussed with him, among other things, the situation in Gujarat.