Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Pirzada Mohmmad Sayeed today resigned over corruption charges involving a member of his staff after the issue rocked the state Assembly.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told the agitated opposition members that that he has forwarded the resignation to the Governor for acceptance. During the course of his reply to the discussion on Governor's address, Azad referred to the resignation while responding to the concerns expressed by MLA Shoaib Lone in the House regarding threat calls made to his mother and graft money taken allegedly by a staff of the minister.

Lone had on Thursday alleged he had paid a member of the minister's staff a bribe to get his sister s file relating to a teachers elementary training institute cleared through his ministry. Azad said a probe had been ordered after a driver with the state education board, who was suspected to be a conduit, was arrested yesterday.

Stating that no one will be let off from corruption or militancy related cases, Azad said Sayeed would be out of the Cabinet till the corruption charges were cleared. Sayeed claimed there was a conspiracy to malign his image on the issue of corruption.

Source : PTI