JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister and PCC chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed on Tuesday resigned over corruption charges involving a member of his staff after the issue rocked the state Assembly.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told agitated opposition members that the resignation was forwarded to the Governor and duly accepted.

Sayeed's resignation comes in the wake of the allegations of corruption against him and his wife by independent MLA Shoaib Lone.

"He sent a letter offering to resign from the post of PCC president pending an inquiry against him, and party chief Sonia Gandhi has accepted his resignation," a senior party leader said in New Delhi.

During the course of his reply to the discussion on the Governor's address here, Azad referred to the resignation while responding to Lone's allegations about threat calls made to his mother and graft money taken allegedly by a staff of the minister concerned.

Lone, whose father and PDP minister Ghulam Nabi Lone was assassinated two years ago, alleged in the Assembly last week Sayeed's wife through the official driver had taken a bribe of Rs 40,000 to sanction a school.

He also claimed the minister's wife, who was a widow of a self-styled commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, telephoned him and threatened him with dire consequences if he persisted with his allegations.

Azad later told reporters that a probe had been ordered after the driver with the State Education Board, who is suspected to be a conduit, was arrested on Monday.

Source : PTI