Declaring that he had done "nothing improper or unethical", Shashi Tharoor today said he quit the Union council of ministers to avoid embarrassment to the government in view of the current controversy over the Indian Premier League (IPL) and wanted the charges against him to be "thoroughly investigated".
In a statement in the Lok Sabha, the MP from Trivandrum said he was "deeply wounded by the fanciful and malicious charges" against him.
"My conscience is clear and I know that I have done nothing improper or unethical, let alone illegal," Tharoor said, adding that his resignation was "in the highest moral traditions of our democratic system".
He said, "I have led an unblemished life of personal integrity and probity and it is important to me that my name is cleared."
Tharoor's statement was heard with rapt attention by the entire House, including the opposition, which had earlier trained its guns on him.
The 54-year-old former diplomat, who joined politics just a year ago, said that though he is new to Indian politics, "I have a long record of public service unblemished by the slightest taint of financial irregularity."
Making the statement from his seat in the eighth row of the treasury benches, where Rahul Gandhi was sitting, he said that in view of the political controversy surrounding his involvement in the IPL, "I have no desire to be an embarrassment to the government."
Tharoor said he had requested prime minister Manmohan Singh to have the charges against him "thoroughly investigated".
He maintained that his departure at this stage "will allow the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues to focus on the great challenges facing our nation".
Observing that it was a "great privilege" to serve the government and the Congress party, he said Singh and UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, were "two of the finest public servants our country has ever had".
Both leaders were not present in the House. Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee was present.
Several Union ministers, including P Chidambaram, Vilas Deshmukh, and Ambika Soni, and several other Congress MPs were seen greeting Tharoor after the statement.
"Today marks a new beginning for me," the former minister of state for external affairs said, adding that he was grateful for the support and encouragement given by the people of Kerala and his well-wishers for reposing faith in him.
