Singhvi quits house panel, resigns as Cong spox

A day ahead of the resumption of the budget session of Parliament, senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi on Monday resigned as the chairman of a parliamentary committee on law, justice personnel and grievances and as party spokesperson over the circulation of purported CDs about him. Full text of Singhvi's statement

A day ahead of the resumption of the budget session of Parliament, senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi on Monday resigned as the chairman of a parliamentary committee on law, justice personnel and grievances and as party spokesperson over the circulation of purported CDs about him.

"I have done this only to prevent even the slightest possible parliamentary disruption regarding the purported CDs being circulated about me. Since I am a disciplined party soldier, I did not think it fit to subject the party to any inconvenience. All allegations are baseless and false," he said in a statement.

The resignation of Singhvi, who informed Congress president Sonia Gandhi about the decision, was immediately accepted by the party.

"He has taken the right step," said party's media department head Janardan Dwivedi.

The Delhi High Court had on Friday granted a permanent injunction against the publication, circulation, dissemination and distribution of the CD after Mukesh Kumar Lal, Singhvi’s former driver, admitted that he had fabricated and morphed the CD and circulated it out of anger against the senior advocate.

Singh stated that baseless allegations were being spread about the alleged inappropriate conversation in the CD.

"People inimically opposed to me, who have spent over 10 days hearing, seeing, amplifying and distilling the CD have found no vestige of any reference, not even remotely, to any illegality, corrupt practice, or wrongdoing."