JOIN USRajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari on Wednesday accepted Vijay Mallya's resignation after he submitted a fresh letter, on a day Ethics Committee recommended his expulsion from the House.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien announced the acceptance of Mallya's resignation by Ansari in the House late in the evening. Mallya's first letter was rejected by Ansari as it was not unconditional and that it did not bore the original signature.
The Chairman has accepted the resignation of Mallya, "resubmitted unconditionally and as per correct procedure". After Rajya Sabha Secretary General Shumsher K Sheriff wrote to the MP informing the rejection on procedural grounds, Mallya sent a fresh resignation on Wednesday.
"The second resignation letter was sent in original. Secretary General confirmed from Mallya that resignation tendered was genuine, voluntary and unconditional," Ansari's Officer on Special Duty Gurdeep Singh Sappal said.
The acceptance of the resignation came on a day the Ethics Committee led by Congress MP Karan Singh recommended his expulsion for "serious misconduct" and "unethical behaviour", after rejecting his contentions on Rs 9,431.65 crore loan default. Taking note of non-payment of loans, non-bailable warrant issued against him, revocation of passport and government's request to Britain to deport him, the panel said there was "more than one issue" involved in Mallya's case.
"In addition to all these, the Kingfisher Airlines staff have not received their dues for many months, causing acute distress to many families including children. Taken together, all this adds up to a very serious picture of unethical behaviour and breach of the Code of Conduct on the part of Vijay Mallya," the report said.