Office-of-profit petition is a witch-hunt, says Somnath

Reiterating CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat’s point made in his letter to President Kalam and later to the media, Chatterjee said, ‘‘It is not the job of the judge (in this case the quasi-judicial Election Commission) to secure material (from the petitioner).

Reviewing the office-of-profit petitions of 10 CPI-M MPs, including that of the Lok Sabha Speaker, the EC had sought more accurate information from Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy who had petitioned against them.

Terming it as a ‘‘witch-hunt’’, he asserted that there was ‘‘not an iota of a case’’ against him.

Asked whether the President should intervene when two constitutional authorities were involved in a clash, he merely said such things could be sorted out through good sense.

Calling it ‘‘harassment’’, he said his name was put up on the Commission’s website in connection with the disqualification petition without intimating him.

He called the inclusion of the post held by him in the Shantiniketan Sriniketan Development Authority in the newly amended list in the Parliamentary (Prevention of Disqualification) Act as a precaution to save ‘‘further harassment’’. He claimed, ‘‘I have never held an office, except that of the Speaker. I challenge anyone (to prove) that the SSDA post I am holding for the last 17 years, is that of profit. I will resign from all my positions, if anyone shows there is an office-of-profit.’’

However, he also clarified that he was only expressing his ‘‘humble view’’ and not challenging the EC. On the BJP MPs suggesting a no-confidence motion against him, he said, ‘‘It is their right. If they want to move it, they can move it.’’

He also sought to dismiss a fresh attack by former secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, admonished by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He said that he had no hand whatsoever in the question of privilege raised against the former secretary general.