``You have just seen that a government was removed without the sponsors of that move having worked out any alternative. Under the German Constitution, to remove a Chancellor the House has to vote confidence in another person. In the very act of removing one Chancellor, therefore, his successor is installed. This would be a small change in our system. But even such a small change would have prevented what the country is being put through,'' Vajpayee observed in his address to the nation tonight.

The address clearly indicated that Vajpayee had the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in mind. He mounted a scathing attack on the Opposition for bringing down his Government without having any issue of ``any gravity''.

He alsosought to warn the people against the perils of frequent elections and urged them to rise above all considerations while deciding the country's fate. ``Such episodes are ruinous for the country,'' he asserted. ``The new election, as our Chief Election Commissioner has told us, will impose a burden of Rs 1000 crore on our people. In one week of instability, small investors lost Rs 50,000 crore. And now, till elections are held, no policy decisions can be taken though issues of great urgency are coming up every other week: our negotiations with other countries, our negotiations with international organisations, what we should be doing with regard to international treaties, decisions relating to the security of the country, decisions that directly affect your welfare.''

Vajpayee, through his speech, tried to project himself as a victim of a conspiracy launched by the opposition parties. ``There was no issue, whatsoever, for bringing down the Government. During the debate in the Lok Sabha, as well as outside,my colleagues and I asked repeatedly: What is the issue on which the Government is guilty of such misconduct that it should be brought down, that the country should be pushed into an abyss? I listened diligently to the debate as you would have for hours and hours. Not one new fact was brought out, not one issue of any gravity was raised to warrant what was being done,'' he said.

``It was not an issue that propelled those who acted,'' Vajpayee contended, ``it was calculation. A calculation that boomeranged.''

``When the debate began,'' he observed, ``I asked, `What is the alternative you have in mind? Who is going to lead the new government? Of whom shall that government consist?' My questions were scoffed at. `We will provide the alternative in five minutes,' it was said. `In one minute', it was said. Seven days went by, and you saw what happened.''

```We will tell the President what the alternative is, it was said, we will not tell you'. The President held meetings after meetings. And they could notspecify an alternative.''

Vajpayee claimed that his Government was working well, citing several achievements: