The Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament and ex-cricketer on Friday resigned from the Lok Sabha following his conviction.
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament and ex-cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday resigned from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 1988 murder case. However, his letter was not accepted by the Speaker as it was not submitted as per rules.
The Speaker said the rule 240 says the resignation letter of an MP should not contain any reason or condition. Sidhu’s letter had stated that the High Court has passed an “adverse order” against him in the 18-year-old case. “The High Court will hear my lawyers on Wednesday on the quantum of punishment. Without resorting to technical arguments with regard to what the quantum of punishment will be and my right to challenge the judgment in appeal, I tender my resignation.”
Sidhu is the second MP to be convicted for murder this week, the first Union coal minister Shibu Soren. While Soren’s conviction dealt a blow to the image of UPA, Sidhu’s conviction has put the BJP on a backfoot.
The party put up a brave front saying that while Soren was a part of a murder conspiracy, in Sidhu’s case there was “absence of intent (to kill).” BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said unlike Soren, Sidhu had resigned from the Lok Sabha.
Swaraj said the BJP would not dump Sidhu and would use him for campaigning in Punjab, UP and Uttranchal for the upcoming elections. The saffron party’s young star campaigner, who won 2004 LS polls from Amritsar, was being groomed to challenge Congress CM Amarinder Singh.
Sidhu, in the meanwhile, said at a press conference that he had written to party leaders AB Vajpayee, LK Advani and Rajnath Singh seeking their permission to quit as an MP. He later joined Swaraj as she announced the party’s stand of endorsing his decision to quit.
Declining to answer a barrage of questions, Sidhu said: “I always stood for truth and moral grounds and these principles are above any office I hold.” He said he would appeal against the lower court order and added he would “continue to pursue his political ideals and public activities.” When asked if his political career was over, a miffed Sidhu shot back: “Absolute nonsense. Don’t talk about speculations, ifs and buts”
UPA sources said they were at a loss to understand how Sidhu, who consulted senior leaders, drafted an “improper” letter to the Speaker fuelling speculation that the resignation may be a “drama” intended to buy time.
Unintentional killing is not murder: SC
Rakesh Bhatnagar
NEW DELHI: There is light at the end of the tunnel for Navjot Singh Sidhu.
If one goes by an earlier decree by the Supreme Court, death by negligence is not culpable homicide.
It was in the Bhopal gas tragedy case that the SC had observed that there is a thin line between intentional killing and unintentional homicide.
The SC had held that the court should decide the pivotal question of intention, with care and caution.
The Bhopal tragedy, which took place 22 years ago, had led to the death of hundreds due to a gas leakage from the Union Carbide Corporation factory.
The company president Warren M Anderson, who has been absconding since, is charged with unintentional death by negligence, like Sidhu. Anderson, who jumped bail and has been declared a fugitive by the SC, would have got major reprieve like nine other co-accused in the case.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}