Maran resigns from cabinet
New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, informed sources said Thursday, a day after the CBI alleged that he forced telecom promoter C. Sivasankaran to sell his Aircel stake to the Maxis group considered close to his family.
Maran, the second DMK leader to lose a cabinet post over the 2G telecom scam, is learnt to have submitted his resignation to the prime minister after attending what turned out to be his last cabinet meeting as a union minister, the sources said.
There was no official confirmation on this.
Maran left the prime minister's 7 Race Course Road residence after attending the meeting and drove back after putting in his papers, the sources said. He is believed to have had a short meeting with the prime minister.
Maran's successor as IT and communications minister A. Raja quit in November 2010 and was jailed for his alleged involvement in financial irregularities in allotting second generation radio wave licences to mobile phone service providers.
Another DMK leader, Karunanidhi's daughter and MP Kanimozhi, is also in prison for allegedly conspiring with Raja.