New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday demanded the resignation of central minister and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) general secretary E. Ahamed following a judicial probe report that indicted his party for its involvement in the 2002-03 communal clashes in Kerala.

The Congress, however, ruled out the resignation of Ahamed, minister of state for external affairs, saying that the demand was "baseless".

Fourteen people were killed in two separate incidents when groups of Muslims and Hindus at the coastal village of Marad in Kozhikode district clashed in January 2002 and May 2003.

It its report tabled in the Kerala assembly Wednesday, the Thomas P. Joseph Commission that probed the clashes has found that "activists of the IUML and National Democratic Front, a Muslim outfit, were actively involved in the massacre" on May 2, 2003.

"Being a leader of the IUML that has been indicted in a communal riot probe report, Ahamed does not have any right to continue as a minister," BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

Congress spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi retorted saying, "It is an absolutely baseless demand. There is no need for him to resign."

Acting on the commission report, the Kerala government Wednesday recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the involvement of fundamentalists and terrorists in the incidents.

Welcoming the state government's decision, Ahamed told IANS: "The IUML welcomes the CBI probe into the incident. The IUML has no involvement in the communal clashes. Since its formation, our party has worked for the communal harmony.

"We had condemned the incident and have been cooperating with the government in the probe," the minister said.

"I request everyone in Kerala to observe restraint and ensure communal harmony is not disturbed by this report," he urged.

The report also criticised Kerala's then United Democratic Front (UDF) government led by A.K. Antony for not ordering a CBI inquiry into the incident.

Antony, who is in national capital, maintained he would react only after reading the report.

"But I have heard the state home minister's statement questioning the decision not to recommend a CBI inquiry. It was not my personal decision (not to recommend a CBI probe).

"It was a decision taken by the cabinet on the basis of the advice given by the then advocate general. He was of the view that the judicial probe and the crime branch inquiries were adequate," Antony said.

"But I feel upset that no one has mentioned how my government had contained any after-effects of the Marad clashes. It would have led to serious repercussions anywhere else," he added.