Office of profit: Jairam Ramesh gets notice

The Election Commission has issued a notice to Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh [ Images ] on a complaint seeking his disqualification as a Rajya Sabha member on the office of profit issue.

President A P J Abdul Kalam [ Images ] had earlier referred the petition to the commission. The EC also sought certain details from the Cabinet Secretariat on the issue.

Ramesh has been given three weeks time to file his reply by October 20, EC sources said.

The complaint, filed by Ravindra Kumar, president of Rashtriya Mukti Morcha, alleged that Ramesh was holding an
office of profit by being a member of the high-profile National Advisory Council.