Days after Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker accepted Dakha MLA HS Phoolka’s resignation, the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday clarified that the same was not accepted earlier as it was not in the proper format as per rules.

The spokesperson made it clear that it was wrong to say that Phoolka’s resignation has been accepted after 10 months as he threatened to go to the Supreme Court, as some media reports had claimed. Rubbishing the reports, Vidhan Sabha spokesperson said that the resignation had not been approved by the Speaker as the resignation was not in the proper format.

Phoolka had tendered his resignation as an MLA on October 12, 2018, which was against the rules of procedure of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and “unnecessary reasons” were given in the resignation.

Subsequently, Phoolka also tendered a resignation personally to the Speaker on December 11, 2018, which was in reference to the earlier resignation and not in the proper format.“After this, the Speaker invited Phoolka to appear personally on February 20, 2019, but the Dakha MLA appeared on February 21, 2019. 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,” said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson added, “Subsequently, 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 appropriate format.”

After this, Phoolka submitted his resignation on August 8 in the appropriate format as per the rules, which was accepted by the Speaker on the next day, that is August 9.