Scotching speculation Punjab local government minister Navjot Singh Sidhu would be resigning from the state cabinet in view of the Supreme Court (SC) case against him, the Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh on Sunday said there was no question of asking the minister to quit.

The CM pointed out that the SC had stayed Sidhu’s conviction in the road rage case in 2007 and was yet to pronounce its verdict on his petition challenging the high court order.

The question of the minister resigning, merely because the state government had repeated its stand of 30 years in the case before the Supreme Court, did not arise, he added.

“There was neither any impediment in Sidhu’s induction into the cabinet nor in his continuation now, in view of the stay on his conviction”, said Amarinder.

The categorical clarification from the CM came amid reports suggesting that Sidhu had been asked to resign, and also in the wake of the demand from the Opposition that he should step down.

While reiterating that his government could not have changed its stand in the apex court in the case against Sidhu, Amarinder once again expressed the hope that the judge would take cognisance of Sidhu’s contribution to the society and the country in deciding the case.

He described the recent developments in the matter as unfortunate, but maintained that his government had taken the only legally tenable stand in the SC.

Reacting to reports suggesting that the government had deliberately not supported the minister in the apex court, the CM pointed out unless the prosecution received new inputs, it was not legally possible for it to add a new element to its arguments.

As the state prosecution, the government’s lawyers had stated a certain viewpoint in the trial court as well as the High Court, he noted, adding that, in the absence of any fresh evidence, there was no way of changing that stand before the SC.

Speaking totally from a legal viewpoint, the prosecution is duty-bound to go by the facts and stick to the same, said the CM.

Taking a U-turn from the stand taken by the government in the trial and high courts was not an option for the government, he added.