Former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wrote to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the chairman of the Parliament Ethics Committee, submitting his resignation as a Rajya Sabha MP on Monday.
Mallya was elected as an independent member of the Rajya Sabha in 2010 for the second term, with the support of JD-S and Bharatiya Janata Party lawmakers in the state legislature. His first term was from 2002 to 2008.
Former Prime Minister HD Dewe Gowda, who had supported his membership, said that it was wrong to say Mallya had fled or even absconded.
After a money laundering probe was launched against him in an alleged loan fraud case, Mallya is believed to have left the country on 2 March.
A report in the Indian Express, however, stated that Mallya was present in the Rajya Sabha on 1 March.
The Congress criticised the BJP for not taking strict action against Mallya. A few Congress members chanted in unison “Vijay Mallya ko wapas lao, wapas lao! Wapas lao!” (Bring Vijay Mallya back, bring him back!)
The Indian banks and judiciary have been making efforts to recover Rs 9,000 crore in dues from Mallya.
The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) revoked Vijay Mallya’s passport on 24 April.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had requested the government to get Mallya deported back to India through diplomatic channels.
The Ministry of External Affairs has requested the United Kingdom to initiate the process of Mallya’s deportation, Vikas Swarup, MEA spokesperson said on Thursday.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)