New Delhi:
P Chidambaram has failed to have a case that challenges his election to the Lok Sabha dismissed. He will now face trial. The BJP and J Jayalalithaa say that is reason enough to remove him from the post of Home Minister.
The Madras High Court refused this morning to quash a petition by the AIADMK's Raja Kannapan alleging that Mr Chidambaram's election team manipulated votes in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Mr Chidambaram won his Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat by a very slender margin of 3300 votes.
Today, while refusing to dismiss the case against Mr Chidambaram the court did, however, remove two of the 29 allegations against him - the charge of corrupt practices has been deleted. Mr Chidambaram's lawyer said the major allegations on the involvement of bank officials and inducing voters with cash have been removed by the court.
Mr Chidambaram said that the court's order was not a setback for him but was a "setback for the petitioner whose main contention had been struck down".
The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, instantly renewed its attack on the Home Minister, saying he must quit. "I appeal to the Prime Minister to remove him from cabinet. There are so many instances of corruption against him. He has no moral right to be on his post. He should have resigned much earlier" said BJP president Nitin Gadkari.
Mr Gadkari claimed that the BJP had documents that proved Mr Chidambaram's involvement in the 2G scam. "Why is Sonia Gandhi protecting him? Why is the Congress tolerating his corruption? Soniaji had said she will not tolerate corruption. I want to remind her about this. The country wants an explanation," Mr Gadkari said.
In Chennai, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa suggested that if Mr Chidambaram did not quit now, he should be removed from his post.
The Congress is dismissive and has closed ranks around its senior minister. Party general secretary Digvijaya Singh pointed out that this was an election-related case and had nothing to do with Mr Chidambaram's functioning as the Home Minister. "The question of quitting does not arise," he said. Law Minister Salman Khursheed also said, "When you use the word trial, you always think of a criminal trial. It is an election trial. Some orders must have been made in that regard. The BJP wants his resignation everyday."
The Madras High Court refused this morning to quash a petition by the AIADMK's Raja Kannapan alleging that Mr Chidambaram's election team manipulated votes in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Mr Chidambaram won his Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat by a very slender margin of 3300 votes.
Today, while refusing to dismiss the case against Mr Chidambaram the court did, however, remove two of the 29 allegations against him - the charge of corrupt practices has been deleted. Mr Chidambaram's lawyer said the major allegations on the involvement of bank officials and inducing voters with cash have been removed by the court.
Mr Chidambaram said that the court's order was not a setback for him but was a "setback for the petitioner whose main contention had been struck down".
The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, instantly renewed its attack on the Home Minister, saying he must quit. "I appeal to the Prime Minister to remove him from cabinet. There are so many instances of corruption against him. He has no moral right to be on his post. He should have resigned much earlier" said BJP president Nitin Gadkari.
Mr Gadkari claimed that the BJP had documents that proved Mr Chidambaram's involvement in the 2G scam. "Why is Sonia Gandhi protecting him? Why is the Congress tolerating his corruption? Soniaji had said she will not tolerate corruption. I want to remind her about this. The country wants an explanation," Mr Gadkari said.
In Chennai, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa suggested that if Mr Chidambaram did not quit now, he should be removed from his post.
The Congress is dismissive and has closed ranks around its senior minister. Party general secretary Digvijaya Singh pointed out that this was an election-related case and had nothing to do with Mr Chidambaram's functioning as the Home Minister. "The question of quitting does not arise," he said. Law Minister Salman Khursheed also said, "When you use the word trial, you always think of a criminal trial. It is an election trial. Some orders must have been made in that regard. The BJP wants his resignation everyday."
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
