At an hour-long meeting at the Prime Minister's residence on Wednesday evening, the NDA, barring Trinamul Congress, was emphatic that there was no need for any minister to resign, let alone the resignation of the government. It, however, agreed for a probe into the charges of bribery as also for a discussion in Parliament.

Ms Banerjee did not attend the NDA meeting. She chose to send a letter to the Prime Minister instead, saying that the defence minister should resign pending an appropriate inquiry.

The Tehelka expose, meanwhile, unleashed a fierce war of attrition between the Vajpayee government and the Opposition with the latter willing to settle for nothing less than its resignation even as the NDA stood united behind the prime minister in this hour of crisis.

The NDA's defence notwithstanding, Mr Fernandes was under intense pressure to resign from different quarters. The pressure further caught on in the wake of suspension of four senior defence officials who figured in the Tehelka tape.

Those who received suspension orders were Maj Gen PSK Chaudhary, additional director-general (weapons and equipment), Mr HC Pant, staff officer Ordinance Factory Board, Mr Narendera Singh, assistant financial adviser in the ministry of defence and Mr P Sasi, assistant in the Army Headquarters here, according to a defence ministry release.

Action against three other top officials, Maj Gen MS Ahluwalia, additional director-general technical stores, Brig Iqbal Singh, prospective procurement officer and Col Anil Sehgal, director ordinance stores was kept pending as they were out of station, it was learnt. Wednesday saw a slew of fast-paced political developments beginning with an unprecedented pandemonium in both Houses of Parliament where the Opposition stuck to its resignation demand. The din in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha forced the presiding officers to adjourn the two Houses for the day.

Shouting anti-government slogans, Opposition members stormed the well of the Lok Sabha even before the House had assembled. "Gali gali mein shor hai, BJP chor hai, yeh sarkar nahin chalegi", Opposition members shouted in unison even as the treasury benches retorted by shouting "chor machaye shore".

Seized of the gravity of the situation, the prime minister held an impromptu meeting of his senior Cabinet colleagues at his Parliamenrt House office to discuss the situation. Emerging from the meeting, the prime minister briefly told newspersons: "We are ready for a discussion and ready for an inquiry."

But let the Opposition make out a case for it, the prime minister said, adding that anybody found guilty would not be spared.

Asked to comment on Opposition's demand for the resignation of his government, Mr Vajpayee said: "Let them make a case for the resignation of the government... This is a political demand." Did he see any conspiracy behind the expose, the prime Minister said: "Daal mein kuch kaala hai" (there is something fishy).

The prime minister's statement was repeated by all other BJP leaders, including Home Minister LK Advani and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan both of whom said the government would not run away from the probe.

They, however, maintained that it was a conspiracy to malign the NDA government.

All political parties held strategy sessions to discuss the emerging situation. There was an overt attempt to revive the third front possibly led by Marxist veteran Jyoti Basu. The meeting, held in CPI(M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet's house, was attended by former prime ministers VP Singh and Deve Gowda, Mr Jyoti Basu, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav as also leaders of the CPI and the Forward Block.

The Congress(I), whose cooperation in any kind of third front formation was necessary, however, kept its cards close to its chest maintaining that the party was at the moment insistent on the resignation of the Vajpayee government. "We will discuss these things at the Bangalore AICC session," said party spokesman Jaipal Reddy when asked if the Congress was willing to support the third front .

Meanwhile, the BJP accepted Mr Bangaru Laxman's resignation on Wednesday and appointed Mr Jana Krishnamoorthy as the acting President. Mr Krishnamoorthy was the senior vice president of the party.