BHOPAL: Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani on Wednesday demanded immediate disbanding of the National Advisory Council (NAC). The prestige of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had been lowered over the past two years as the NAC was monitoring the implementation of the United Progressive Alliance Government's Common Mminimum Programme.

Mr. Advani was addressing media persons at Jabalpur before leaving for Bhopal on the 15th day of his "Bharat Suraksha Yatra."

Describing the NAC as an extra-Constitutional authority, he said thePMO should directly supervise the programme's implementation.

He cautioned against moving a special Bill to address the "office of profit" issue.

Any initiative to introduce a Bill in the next session of Parliament to reappoint AICC president Sonia Gandhi as NAC Chairperson would be challenged in court. Citing Articles 102 and 103 of the Constitution, he said the definition of "office of profit" should not be diluted.

Mr. Advani said Ms. Gandhi was forced to resign as a Member of Parliament. "She was left with no option but to resign. Otherwise, she would have been disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha as [had] happened in the case of Jaya Bachchan."

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