Friday, August 26 2005 19:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Aug 26, 2005) demanded the resignation of Finance Minister P Chidambaram over the Central Board of Direct Taxes engaging his wife Nalini as special counsel in a tax case in Chennai.

"It is a serious issue. It is not only a case of impropriety but also corruption, favouritism and nepotism. I am surprised that the Prime Minister has not taken any action after the issue was raised by an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam (AIADMK) Member in Rajya Sabha", party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj told reporters in New Delhi.

She demanded Chidambaram's resignation on the issue failing which the "Prime Minister should drop him from the cabinet".

Asked about Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT's) clarification that the Finance Minister was not informed of the matter, she said, "If they are husband and wife, how is it that he does not know about it?" To a question whether the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government had also engaged her and if so, what was wrong in her continuing with it, Swaraj said, "Once he becomes a Minister, it becomes an issue of propriety. Even the then Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy's wife had proceeded on leave from Air India after her husband became a Minister" (in the NDA Government).