Pranab

New Delhi, July 2: An allegation of office of profit, the David that once felled Sonia Gandhi, leaped out of the website of the Calcutta-based Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and put off by a day the all-clear for Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature for President.

Rival candidate P.A. Sangma’s counsel told the official scrutinising the nomination papers that Mukherjee’s candidature should be rejected as he was chairman of ISI, the world-class institute in Calcutta, in violation of the office of profit rules.

Rajya Sabha secretary-general Vivek K. Agnihotri, the returning officer for this election, adjourned the scrutiny, saying it was “inconclusive” and he would give opportunity to the “other side” on Tuesday before giving his ruling on the objection raised by lawyer and BJP supporter Satpal Jain on behalf of Sangma.

The government rejected the charge and pointed out that Mukherjee had resigned from ISI on June 20, eight days before he filed the nomination.

However, the Congress was initially numbed into silence as the ISI website continued to show till this evening Mukherjee as chairman. The panic of 2006, when Sonia stepped down as MP following an uproar over her assignment in the National Advisory Council, appeared to be still playing on the party’s nerves.

But ISI was prompt in issuing a clarification.

“Yes, certainly, Mr. Mukherjee did resign on June 20 this year,” ISI director Bimal Roy told The Telegraph this evening. “Our website is usually updated once a month or so. It was my mistake really, I should have had it updated immediately after his resignation.”

According to Roy, Mukherjee had been the chairman of the council since September 2004. “He was very regular. He always gave us time. I don’t remember when he missed a council meeting,” said Roy.

ISI sources said Mukherjee “never” received any money in the form of compensation or honorarium for his contribution.

The Congress, however, is worried that the Opposition may go to court and insist that the documents be perused to establish the date of resignation, which can cast a cloud on the presidential contest.

The Constitution, while defining qualifications for a presidential candidate under Article 58, states that “a person shall not be eligible for election as President if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the government of any state or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any of the said governments”.

Parliament had passed legislation exempting certain offices in public interest and ISI is one of them. But the exemption specifically mentions MPs and ministers, not presidential candidates.