No haste in accepting Sonia's resignation: Speaker

New Delhi, Mar 29: Clarifying that he did not accept the resignation of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in haste, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today said he had no other option under the Constitution, but to let her quit as an MP.

''I was obliged to accept (the resignation) under the Constitution'' as she had personally met him and signed the resignation letter in his presence, the Speaker told reporters at Rashtrapati Bhavan after the Padma Award function.

Ms Gandhi had quit also as Chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) following the opposition charge that the government had abruptly adjourned sine die the Budget session of Parliament ''only to save her'' from getting disqualified in the wake of the office-of-profit controversy.

Reaffirming his decision not to quit in the light of a similar complaint against him to President APJ Abdul Kalam, who has since forwarded it to the Election Commission seeking its opinion, Mr Chatterjee said he was ''convinced that I am not guilty'' and was confident of proving that the posts of chairmenship of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the Shanti Niketan Trust were not offices of profit.

Asked whether his stand meant that Ms Gandhi was guilty of holding of an office of profit, he said the Congress President had already spelt out the reason for her resignation, apparently referring to her statement that she was quitting because she was ''hurt immensely'' by the opposition charge that the government's whole exercise was aimed at saving her.

He also refused to comment on the resignation by a few other MPs, including Dr Karan Singh, stating that the reporters should ask the individuals for the reasons.

The Speaker said he honestly felt that MPs and MLAs could contribute to such institutions and to national development by holding posts which could not be described as offices of profit.

Asked about the Left parties' demand for immediate exemption of such posts from the office of profit, he said ''I have hardly anything to do with my party. That is the irony.'' He, however, maintained that ''I will successfully prove that I am not holding any office of profit.'' At the same time, he expressed his displeasure that an atmosphere was being created where ''the onus is shifting to the person'' accused of holding posts to prove that these were not offices of profit.

To a question on whether the office-of-profit concept had become outdated, the Speaker said ''that is for the law-makers to decide. I am not a law-maker.'' Replying to a related query, he said the law relating to office-of-profit could serve its purpose ''if it is honestly applied.''

UNI

Related Stories
Any leader welcome to contest against Sonia in Rae Bareli: Cong