Phoolka's resignation submitted earlier was not in proper format: Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday said that the resignation of former AAP MLA H S Phoolka, who had quit as legislator last year, was not accepted earlier as it was not in the proper format.

Some media reports had claimed that Phoolka's resignation had been accepted after 10 months by Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh after the legislator threatened to move the Supreme Court.

A spokesperson of the Punjab Assembly said the resignation was not accepted by the speaker earlier as "it was not in the proper format".

On August 9 this year, Singh accepted the resignation of Phoolka, who had quit as legislator in October last year.

Earlier this month, Phoolka wrote to the speaker, saying he will have to move the Supreme Court if his resignation is not accepted.

"In the event you do not take any decision on my resignation, I will be constrained to approach the Supreme Court of India," the former MLA from the Dakha constituency earlier wrote to the assembly speaker.

He had resigned as MLA in October and later met the assembly speaker, urging him to accept his resignation.

Phoolka, a noted lawyer, had stepped down to press for immediate action against those involved in desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib in the state in 2015. While quitting as MLA, he had claimed that the Congress government in the state had not taken the desired action against those named in the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission's report on sacrilege incidents.

Phoolka tendered his resignation personally to the speaker on December 11 last year, which was in reference to the earlier resignation in October that was not in the proper format, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson further said after this, the speaker invited Phoolka to appear personally on February 20 this year, but he appeared on February 21.

"During this meeting, the speaker made it clear to Phoolka that the resignation was not in the proper format that's why it had not been approved.

"On August 5, Phoolka's letter was received in the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat in which he wrote that if the resignation sent by him is not in the prescribed format, he would send the resignation to the speaker in the proper format," he said.

The spokesperson said that after this, Phoolka submitted his resignation on August 8 in the proper format as per the rules, which was accepted by the speaker on August 9.