Sidhu resigned from RS because of suffocation: JD(U)

The former cricketer said that his nomination in the Upper House was a mere burden, purpose behind it stood defeated now

The JD(U) on Monday said that BJP's Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the Rajya Sabha because of suffocation.

JD(U) leader Ali Anwar told ANI: "May be the BJP made him the Rajya Sabha MP without his consent. The BJP was trying to bring him on their side. But he has been an integral part of the BJP, he knows what the actual position of affairs is. I guess he was feeling suffocated and that is why he did this."

Sidhu, who resigned from the Rajya Sabha, earlier on Monday said that his nomination in the Upper House was a mere burden, adding the purpose behind it stood defeated now.

In a statement released on Monday, Sidhu said that at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he had accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination for the welfare of Punjab.

"With the closure of every window leading to Punjab, the purpose stands defeated. It is now a mere burden, I prefer not to carry it. In the war of right or wrong, you cannot afford to be neutral rather than being self-centred. Punjab's interest is paramount," he said.

According to reports, Sidhu might join the AAP in Punjab.

The former cricketer, who was thrice the Lok Sabha member from the BJP, was asked to step away from contesting the polls in Amritsar during the 2014 general election to make way for fellow member Arun Jaitley.

Jaitley, however, lost the election to Congress leader Amarinder Singh.

On April this year, Sidhu was nominated as the Rajya Sabha MP after reports emerged that he was joining the AAP, which has been campaigning aggressively for the Punjab assembly elections.