Judeo quits on 'moral grounds'

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Dilip Singh Judeo, who was allegedly taped taking a bribe, has sent his resignation letter to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee [ Images ], Bharatiya Janata Party [ Images ] chief M Venkaiah Naidu said on Monday.

The statement came after a meeting called by the PM to discuss the issue.

Asked if Vajpayee had accepted the resignation, he said, "It is the prime minister's prerogative."

Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani [ Images ], Finance Minister Jaswant Singh [ Images ], Naidu, party general secretary Pramod Mahajan [ Images ], BJP chief whip in the Lok Sabha V K Malhotra and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attended the meeting.

Later, Judeo said in Raipur, Chhattisgarh: "I have resigned on moral grounds."