New Delhi, December 27: In the wake of a sting operation purportedly showing ND Tiwari in a compromising position with women, his resignation was today forwarded to the Central government by President Pratibha Patil.
The resignation of 86-year-old Tiwari was sent by Patil’s office to the government after it was received from the office of Andhra Pradesh Governor, official sources said here.
The President, who is at present touring Lakshwadeep, will accept the resignation after receiving a recommendation from the government.
Earlier in the evening, Tiwari has sent his resignation to President Pratibha Patil citing health reasons.
“Yes, he sent in his resignation to President Pratibha Patil,” Christy Fernandez, the President’s secretary, told agency.
The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre was mulling action against the Andhra Pradesh Governor.
Governor Tiwari had yesterday denied media reports alleging his involvement in a sex scandal and termed them “malicious” even as women’s groups held demonstrations outside his official residence in Hyderabad demanding his resignation.
Ravi Shankar, Tiwari’s lawyer told a news channel that the allegations were “a tissue of lies” and they had slapped a legal notice on the media house that telecast clips purportedly showing the Governor in compromising position along with three young women in his bedroom.
ABN channel, owned by Telugu daily Andhra Jyothi, telecast the story in the morning to shocked viewers.
The channel quoted Radhika, a woman from Uttarakhand, as saying that she sent the young women to the Raj Bhavan on Tiwari’s request through his aide.
The woman said she was exposing the Governor as he failed to provide her an iron ore mining licence in Andhra Pradesh.
The state High Court later issued an order restraining the channel from telecasting the “demeaning” story.
The opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader N Chandrababu Naidu had also sought the 86-year-old Tiwari’s resignation for “unbecoming conduct”.
The BJP too had demanded that Tiwari quit from the constitutional post.
–Agencies