Government accepts resignation of Mahesh Rangarajan as Nehru Memorial chief, says his posting was unethical

New Delhi: The government on Thursday accepted the resignation of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Director Mahesh Rangarajan saying that his posting was unethical. The government had sought opinion from the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in his appointment.

"It is not my personal choice whether he should resign or he should not resign. He has (offered) to resign. So, the government and the Executive Council will take a decision," Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma had said on Wednesday.

Asked whether he has received any resignation letter from the NMML's Director, the Minister replied that he came to know about Rangarajan's offer to resign through the media and no formal resignation letter was received by his office.

"I have not received it (resignation letter). I have only read it only in the newspapers," he said.

The minister further said that the Centre has commenced the process of seeking opinion of the Election Commission, besides the Law Ministry over Rangarajan's appointment.

"The process has started," he said, while stressing that "procedural lapses" would be investigated.

Days after Sharma termed his appointment during the UPA rule for a further 10-year period as "illegal", Rangarajan had offered to resign as the Director of NMML.

At a meeting of the Executive Council recently, Rangarajan had offered to resign citing personal reasons after which most of the members in the eight-member Council, chaired by ICCR President Lokesh Chandra, asked him to reconsider his move.

Terming Rangarajan's appointment as Director of NMML as "illegal and unethical", Sharma had said it was done despite the Election Commission writing a letter on May 12, 2014 to the Culture Ministry asking it to defer a proposal on permanent absorption of Rangarajan for the post till the election process was over.

As a result of the change made by UPA in 2014, Rangarajan's three-year tenure which was to end in August 2014 was changed to a permanent job till retirement age (60) -- which meant he got ten more years in office till 2024

The government decided to seek the opinion from the Election Commission, which had sought the Culture Ministry to defer a proposal on permanent absorption of Rangarajan for the post till the election process was over in May 2014.

(With PTI inputs)