Thursday, February 23 2006 14:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today(Feb 23,2006) said that Bihar Governor Buta Singh resigned out of his own volition in the wake of the Supreme Court judgement and the subsequent assembly elections in the state had made the debate 'infructuous'.

Observing that the apex court verdict had been raised by Opposition members during a debate on motion of thanks to the President, the Prime Minister, without going into the merits of the case, said on the issue of unconstitutionality of the dissolution, the judges did not arrive at a unanimous verdict.

"Three judges were of the view that the proclamation dissolving the assembly was unconstitutional, whereas two judges held a different view," Singh said in the reply to the motion marred by slong-shouting BJP-led Opposition in Lok Sabha.

"Therefore, it is obvious that in a complicated case, there could be an honest difference of opinion. This has to be kept in view in arriving at a conclusion about the conduct of the Governor (Buta Singh) or the Union Cabinet," he said.

Stressing that the Governor resigned after the Court's verdict on his own volition, Singh said "In any case, the subsequent elections to the Bihar Assembly and the formation of a stable Government has made the debate in fructuous".