Opposition CPI-M and BJP in Kerala today demanded resignation of Shashi Tharoor as Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram in the wake of the Delhi police registering a murder case in connection with the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar a year ago.
CPI-M veteran and State Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan wanted the Congress leadership to ask Tharoor to quit the parliament seat which he won for a second time in the Lok Sabha polls last year.
In a statement here, Achuthanandan asked the Congress' central leadership to tender an apology to the people for fielding Tharoor for the second time despite him coming under the shadow of suspicion for the death of his wife.
"Tharoor's continuance as an MP is legally and morally wrong since the Delhi police had made it clear that he would be questioned in the case," Achuthanandan said.
BJP state president V Muraleedharan came down heavily on the Congress leadership for putting up Tharoor as its candidate in the Lok Sabha polls and making him national spokesperson of the party even after he came under the cloud of suspicion.
The party leadership should now ask Tharoor to step down and apologise to the people and pave way for a bye-election in the constituency, Muraleedharan told a press meet here.
BJP's O Rajagopal finished a close runner-up to Tharoor in the Lok Sabha polls in May with the LDF candidate getting relegated to the third slot.
51-year-old Sunanda was found dead in a luxury hotel in Delhi on January 17, last year.
