APNU Member of Parliament Jaipaul Sharma on Thursday submitted his resignation from the National Assembly to the Speaker Raphael Trotman.

Mr. Sharma said his resignation comes in wake of the attack on him by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand who on Tuesday shouted in the National Assembly that the APNU should ask its member Sharma about statutory rape.

Manickchand may have been referring to Sharma’s father, popular TV host CN Sharma who is currently before the courts on carnal knowledge charges. She has refused to apologise for her remark but told the National Assembly that it was not meant to offend anyone. The APNU believes the remark by the Minister was a direct attack on its Member Jaipaul Sharma.

Speaking to journalists outside the Parliament buildings on Thursday afternoon, Sharma said he was disrespected and has now decided to take a stand. He said he is not irreplaceable and he knows the APNU could find a replacement for him.

The resignation came as a surprise to Members of the Opposition. Both APNU Leader David Granger and AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan left the National Assembly to speak to Sharma on the outside about his decision to resign.

Opposition and APNU Leader David Granger said he had not received any letter of resignation from Sharma but was informed that a letter was sent to the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Granger said Sharma is a valuable member to the APNU and he would wish that he reconsider his decision to resign from the National Assembly. Granger said Manickchand owes Jaipaul Sharma an apology and the APNU holds firm to that view.

Jaipaul Sharma sits on a number of Parliamentary Committees including the contentious Special Select Committee which is examining the Anti Money Laundering Amendment Bill.

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