The Animal Husbandry Minister, Ranike, had submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal yesterday, which was subsequently forwarded to the Governor, an official spokesman said here today.
Meanwhile, the portfolios of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development and Welfare of SC/BC, held by Ranike, would now be looked after by the chief minister till further orders, he said.
Ranike had urged Badal to accept his resignation "immediately" to uphold the highest moral ethics in politics as well to maintain the dignity of the office so as to enable the ongoing inquiry by the Vigilance Bureau to proceed in a transparent and impartial manner.
Ranike became the third minister to step down in the SAD-BJP government, which returned to power after the January 30 Assembly polls this year.
Earlier, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Tota Singh had resigned in March and May this year respectively, following their convictions in different cases.
