Washington, May 9 (AP) President Donald Trump has abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden as the White House continues to purge the federal government of those perceived to oppose the president and its agenda.

The dismissal on Thursday was disclosed in statements from three top House Democrats and confirmed by a separate person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity before it was made public.

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Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Hayden was "callously fired" by Trump and demanded an explanation from the administration as to why.

"Dr. Hayden's tenure has been marked by a steadfast commitment to accessibility, modernization, and the democratisation of knowledge," DeLauro said in a statement. "Her dismissal is not just an affront to her historic service but a direct attack on the independence of one of our most revered institutions." (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)