1.
TGV: Markets closed and with vendors standing outside in street.
0.05

2.
GV: Market signs for silk, crockery prints, and street scene with vendors loitering. (2 shots)
0.16

3.
GV ZOOM TO SV: Street scenes. (2 shots)
0.32

4.
GV: Block of shops deserted (2 shots)
0.45

5.
SV: Closed photocopier centre and auto store. (2 shots)
0.54

6.
GV: Closed and deserted shopping centre.
1.00



Initials RH/



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Indian President Sanjiva Reddy has made it clear he will not yield to pressures from opposition parties to dismiss Prime Minister Charan Singh and his caretaker government. Mr Singh, appointed last month (July) resigned on August the twentieth rather than face defeat in a confidence vote. Since then both the Janata Party and Mrs Gandhi's Congress Party have called for his dismissal. The Janata Party has been particularly active in opposing the President's decision to keep Mr Singh in power until new elections are held.

SYNOPSIS: The Janata party's pressure campaign included a call for the markets in Delhi to close for a day. The call was largely successful. The shutters went up and store-keepers milled around in the street outside their shops.

The Janata Party's particular anger at the President's action arises from the belief that its leader, Mr Jagjivan Ram, could find sufficient support to form his own government. Mr Ram claims he was not given enough time to find the necessary support before President Reddy made his decision to keep Mr Singh as caretaker.

The shuttered shops displayed a measure of support for Janata's view that President Reddy should be impeached.

In other Indian cities, effigies of Mr Reddy have been burnt, and black flags flown. But President Reddy has indicated the will not be swayed by the clamour against him.