Samajwadi Party appoints Sanjay Dutt as General Secretary

New Delhi, Apr 2 (ANI): The Samajwadi party on Thursday appointed Bollywood actor-turned-politician Sanjay Dutt as its National General Secretary.

Dutt, who was barred from contesting the elections by the Supreme Court because of his conviction under the Arms Act in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, told reporters here today, "Mein dil se kam karoonga aur sach ke liye kam karoonga (I will work with my heart and for the truth).

On Wednesday, in an interview to IBN-7, Dutt had claimed that his father Sunil Dutt had died because he could not recover from the humiliation he suffered from the Congress.

"My father died because of the Congress. They did not listen to him.... and took Sanjay Nirupam in the Congress, the man who abused him when he was in the Shiv Sena. He died because of that," said Dutt.

Dutt had also revealed that he was threatened by Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj's aide when he decided to join the Samajwadi Party.

However, Bhardwaj has denied all allegations.

Dutt, who moved the Supreme Court on March 5, was chosen as a Samajwadi Party nominee from Lucknow seat.

On March 30, the apex court had reserved its order on Dutt's plea seeking a stay on his conviction under the Arms Act.On November 27, 2007, Dutt was granted bail by the apex court. He is out on merely on bail following his conviction in the blasts case. So his conviction stands. On July 31, 2007, he was sentenced to a jail term of six years for illegal possession of firearms acquired from terrorist acquaintances, who were responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. He was, however, "cleared of terrorism conspiracy charges in the blasts". (ANI)