Sanjay Dutt, the new SP general secretary

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party on Thursday appointed actor-turned-politician Sanjay Dutt as its National General Secretary. He, however, won’t be able to contest Lok Sabha elections because of his conviction in a criminal case.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court barred Dutt from contesting elections as the laws of the land don’t allow a person with criminal offence and a sentence to jail over two years.

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The court said that it was not a fit case to put a stay on the conviction.

The Bollywood actor had appealed in the apex court for a stay in his conviction under the Arms Act in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Speaking to reporters here today, Dutt said: “Mein dil se kam karoonga aur sach ke liye kam karoonga (I will work with my heart and for the truth).”

In an interview to NDTV on Wednesday, Dutt had alleged that a senior Congress minister had threatened him that court cases would go against him if he joins Samajwadi party.

He, however, refused to divulge the name of the minister, and told that he had conducted a sting operation to expose the minister. In addition, he also blamed Congress party for his father’s death.

He told the television news channel that his father Sunil Dutt died because he couldn’t recover from the humiliation from the party.

‘My father died because of the Congress. They did not treat well to him.... Sunil Dutt will never forgive them for giving Congress ticket to Sanjay Nirupam (one-time Shiv Sena leader who later joined Congress ), who once abused him. He died because of that,’ said Dutt.

Samajwadi Party, which offered a ticket to Sanjay Dutt, was planning to field him for the prestigious Lucknow constituency. But, his conviction for owning illegal arms during the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai had made the court to take a strong stand.

Subjected to the hearing of the 1993 Mumbai blast case, Sanjay Dutt has been sentenced for a six-year imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms acquired from terrorist acquaintances which were involved in those serial blasts. The Special TADA court had, however, cleared him from the terrorism conspiracy charges in the blasts.

Presently, he is out on bail but his conviction is in place. This was the major region which the Supreme Court took into account while denying stay on his conviction.