Questioning the propriety of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray demanding his resignation from the Rajya Sabha, noted criminal lawyer and former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani insisted on Friday that he was dutybound by law to defend the accused in the December 13 Parliament attack case.

Jethmalani has announced that he will argue S A R Geelani's appeal against the conviction order of the trial court. "It is my duty under the law to defend any accused who approaches me," he said. "If I refuse to do so, I am liable to be disqualified as an advocate."

Thackeray had said that before defending the 'traitor' Jethmalani should resign from the Rajya Sabha since he had been elected with the Shiv Sena's help.

In response, Jethmalani said, "Who is he to ask me to quit? I won the seat not with the votes of the Shiv Sena alone, but with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Janata Dal, and independents. And in the final result, my election was unanimous as the seventh candidate withdrew from the race."