Pranab denies Sangma allegation, says no ties with ISI

Pranab Mukherjee’s office has responded to charges filed by the lawyers of PA Sangma, saying that he was no longer associated with the Indian Statistical Institute, adding that even while he was with the institute he did not receive any financial benefit.

“He (Mukherjee) had resigned as Chairman, ISI, on 20 June, a week before he filed his nominations,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal added. Bansal, the authorised representative of Mukherjee, said he and Home Minister P Chidambaram met Mukherjee after Sangma’s claim and they were told by him of his resignation well in advance of filing the nomination.

“Pranab Mukherjee would be filing a written reply to the Returning Officer by 3 PM tomorrow,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister added.

Bansal said Sangma’s claim was factually incorrect, legally ill-conceived and untenable.

Opposition Presidential nominee PA Sangma today sought cancellation of nomination of UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee under the Office of Profit rules on the ground that he is still the Chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), a claim that has been denied by the institute.

In a complaint to the Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, who is the returning officer for the Presidential election, Sangma’s lawyer Satpal Jain demanded that Mukherjee’s papers be cancelled at the scrutiny stage as he holds an office of profit.

Mukherjee held the post while he was Finance Minister, which he resigned from before filing his nomination for the presidential poll.

Jain said that Mukherjee is chairperson of ISI and, hence, cannot contest the Presidential poll under the Office of Profit rules. Today is the last day for scrutiny of forms for the Presidential election. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is 4 July.