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Government decides to accept Venkataswami's resignation

The Indian government on Sunday night decided to accept Justice K Venkataswami's resignation as head of the commission probing the Tehelka expose and chairman of the Authority on Advance Ruling in Customs and Excise Department.

Venkataswami had resigned from both posts on Saturday.

This was decided at a high-level 90-minute meeting presided by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan said the government would write to the Chief Justice of India requesting him to select a new judge so that the Tehelka probe could continue.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Law Minister K Jana Krishnamurthi, BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan and Attorney General Soli Sorabjee.

Venkataswami, in his resignation letter to the prime minister, had said, "I am distressed to learn an issue has been raised in Parliament regarding my assignment as chairperson of the Authority on Advance Ruling in Customs and Central Excise and aspersions have been cast on me."

"Keeping in view the dignity of the offices, which I have held, I have decided not to function either as the chairperson of the Authority for Advance Rulings, Customs and Central Excise or as Chairman of the [Tehelka] Commission of Inquiry."

Maintaining that he was writing in "anguish but not in anger", the former Supreme Court judge said the government had not offered him the post of chairperson of the appellate authority and that the suggestion had come from the then Chief Justice of India.

"So far I have not received any salary or allowance from the Authority," he added.

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