DHAKA: Preet Bharara, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, tweeted Saturday that he was fired after refusing to resign as requested by President Donald Trump's administration.

“I did not resign. Moments ago I was fired,” Bharara wrote on his verified Twitter account Saturday afternoon, reports CNN. 

“Being the US Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life.”

“One hallmark of justice is absolute independence, and that was my touchstone every day that I served,” Bharara later said in a statement.

Bharara's refusal to resign created a stunning public standoff Saturday, as 46 US attorneys across the country were asked to tender their resignations Friday afternoon.

A source told CNN that Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente called Bharara on Saturday to ask if it was true that he was refusing to resign, and Bharara told him yes.

Boente then called Bharara back and said Trump was firing him, the source said.

In a statement Friday, Schumer said he was "troubled" to learn of the Trump administration's request for Bharara's and other US attorneys' resignations, adding that Trump "assured him" he wanted Bharara to continue to serve as US attorney.

By asking for the immediate resignations of the remaining US attorneys before their replacements have been confirmed, "the President is interrupting ongoing cases and investigations and hindering the administration of justice," Schumer said.

Bharara previously served as Schumer's chief counsel and was appointed US attorney in 2009 by President Barack Obama.

Bharara made a name for himself prosecuting dozens of high-profile bankers for insider trading and securities fraud. He will also leave behind a legacy of aggressively prosecuting political corruption. 

BDST: 1650 HRS, MAR 12, 2017
AP