Dr Nadim submitted his strongly-worded resignation letter to the JD's State president Nihal Ahmed on Tuesday. The development is expected to further weaken the JD's position in Maharashtra.

Dr Nadim's letter says: ``I entered active politics in 1989 and joined the party (sic). However, the party's decision to join hands with Sharad Pawar at the State level and the politics sans ideals by the JD's national leaders have forced me to resign from the party. Though the party claims to be secular in nature, all its acts are exactly against the ideals. On the one hand, the party says the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena are a threat to secularism, on the other, the party's public action always helps the Sena-BJP alliance. National leaders Ram Vilas Paswan and J H Patel are taking the sameline.''

Nadim says Pawar was responsible for the death of several youths in firing at a protest march against Salman Rushdie, the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai and the 1995 Assembly elections. The letter then condemns Ahmed for joining hands with Pawar and ``cheating the true JD activists''.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Nadim said the State party leaders were not interested in strengthening the party network. ``They want to bargain with national leaders to nurture their own interests. They are happy becoming members of the Legislative Assembly and enjoying power. None of the leaders want to help the party grow so as to serve society better. The Janata Dal has become bankrupt politically, intellectually and ideologically. No sane person can survive in such a political outfit,'' said Nadim.