Home Minister P. Chidambaram has to face another setback as Madras High Court has declined to dismiss the petition challenging his election in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. It has been ordered to continue the hearing in which it was alleged that he had manipulated the election. Meanwhile main opposition BJP and AIADMK has demanded his resignation after the Court decision.
However Court struck down two of the 29 charges use of bank officials and banks to induce voters, yet he would have to face the remaining 27 charges and appear before the court when required to do so. Court has also directed him to cooperate completely during the trial.
Chidambaram had sought the dismissal of Kannappan's petition and also an exemption from personal appearance.
It is noted that Chidambaram was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu by a slender majority of 3,354 votes against Kannappan in 2009. Accusing the minister's supporters of manipulating the votes, Kannapan approached the court. Sources say that he had alleged that he was leading throughout the counting but at last Chidambaram was declared winner.
Seeing the court decision significant for its point, AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said the prime minister should drop Chidambaram from his cabinet if he did not resign on his own.
She stated that Chidambaram had won the elections in a fraudulent manner and as he has to face the criminal case now, it will be blot on the country's democracy if he continues in office. Hence Chidambaram without any further delay should resign.
Commenting on the issues, BJP president Nitin Gadkari said that prime minister should throw Chidambaram out of the cabinet immediately.
After manipulating the results of the Lok Sabha polls, and being attached to corruption cases one after the other, what more evidence does the prime minister need against him, he added.
Accusing Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for supporting Chidambaram's "corruption", Gadkari said that if he is not ousted, it means Congress supports his corruption and the wrong means adapted by him to come to the Lok Sabha.
(With inputs from IANS)
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