James Murdoch resigns from newspaper boards

MUMBAI: Amidst the controversy over the phone hacking scandal, James Murdoch has stepped down as a director of News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun and used to produce News of The World before the scandal forced it to close.

He also resigned from the boards of The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times

The move reports state could pave the way for the newspapers to be sold off as News Corp tries to control the damage that has been done. He is still News International chairman though.

Meanwhile Britain?s shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman has called for Murdoch to explain why he has stepped down from the boards of News Group Newspapers and Times Newspapers.

"James Murdoch should make clear why he has stepped down in this way. This does not lessen in any way the need for him to answer questions or take responsibility for what happened on his watch. Furthermore, the concerns about whether he is a fit and proper person to run BSkyB remain," she said in a statement.