New Delhi/Patna, November 7
Five JD (U) MPs today resigned from the Lok Sabha protesting against the unabated attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai.

Reacting to the resignations, the RJD dubbed it as a “drama” to gain political mileage while the BJP said it would not follow suit and quit. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan also described the resignations as a “political stunt”.

The MPs, led by NDA convener and former JD (U) president George Fernandes, went to Parliament House around noon and submitted their resignations to Lok Sabha secretary-general P.D. Achary in the absence of Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who was undergoing treatment for chest congestion at the Army Research and Referral Hospital where he was admitted on November 5.

The resignations followed JD (U) president Sharad Yadav’s announcement recently at a press conference here that all five JD(U) MPs would resign from the Lok Sabha after ‘Chhath Puja’ on November 5.

Besides Fernandes, other MPs are Rajiv Ranjan, alias Lallan Singh, JD (U) parliamentary party leader Prabhunath Singh, Meena Singh, wife of MP Ajit Singh, and Kailash.

Talking to newspersons after submitting the resignation, Prabhunath Singh said an all-party delegation led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 27 to express their concern over the repeated attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra.

The delegation, he said, had also handed over a memorandum to the Prime Minister, urging strong action against those responsible for such attacks. — UNI