Bishnoi targets Sonia, Hooda on resignation issue

Chandigarh, Jun 2 (UNI) Crying foul over non-acceptance of his resignation as MP, Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) chief Kuldeep Singh Bishnoi today accused UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of trying to influence Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee in the matter.

Mr Bishnoi, son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, told reporters here that Ms Gandhi and Mr Hooda wanted to get him disqualified as an MP under the anti-defection law and therefore trying to stall the acceptance of his resignation by the Speaker.

The HJC leader is facing charges of defection for having launched the new party in December last year even when he was a member of the Congress.

He had sent his resignation to the Lok Sabha Speaker in March this year after two Congress MLAs of the Bhajan camp were disqualified under the anti-defection law for joining his party.

His father Bhajan Lal was also disqualified later on the same ground by the Haryana assembly Speaker Raghuvir Singh Kadian.

Asked as to what would save him from the anti-defection law, he said he had become the supremo of the HJC and not its member when the party was launched.

To a question, he said only Ms Gandhi, Mr Hooda and Mr Chatterjee could explain the reasons for the delay in acceptance of his resignation.

Mr Bishnoi, however, stated that the Lok Sabha Speaker had generally been quite fair in the conduct of the proceedings of the House but he was hurt by Mr Chatterjee's approach in his (Bishnoi) case.

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