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Sonia should not reclaim relinquished posts: Amar

"Only then her `sacrifice' would be considered as real"

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh on Friday said Congress president Sonia Gandhi should not think at reclaiming posts she had relinquished over the office of profit controversy.

"Only then, her (Sonia) `sacrifice' would be considered as real," he observed.

"Congress had termed Ms. Gandhi's resignations from various posts as sacrifice. But, her move can be considered a real sacrifice only when she refuses to reclaim these posts, including chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC)," he said.

The SP Rajya Sabha member said Jaya Bachchan would file her nomination for Rajya Sabha on June 1.

"As I know, she (Jaya) will not reclaim the post of chairperson, U.P. Film Development Council (UPFDC)," he said, slamming the Congress for excluding UPFDC chief's post from the ambit of office of profit.

Controversy was generated after the Election Commission had recommended to the President disqualify Ms. Bachchan from Rajya Sabha as it considered the chairpersonship of UPFDC as an office of profit.

To put an end to the controversy, Ms. Gandhi had resigned from her Lok Sabha membership as well as the chairpersonship of NAC. On May 11, she got re-elected from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat.

Mr. Singh was addressing a gathering of SP Mahila Sabha here in the presence of party supremo and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Praising the CM for providing adequate representation to women in the party, he criticised Congress and BSP for refusing to recognise women as vital to party hierarchy.

"Both parties are led by women...still not many women find adequate representation in these outfits," he claimed.

Commenting on the import of Australian wheat, Mr. Singh said the exporter -- Australian Wheat Board -- is a blacklisted company, which had allegedly received kickbacks in the Iraqi oil-for-food programme.

While cheap wheat is available locally, the Centre is importing wheat at the rate of Rs. 1,000 per quintal, he alleged.

The SP leader also slammed certain party leaders, who had been criticising the CM. "They are like `Bhasmasuras', who are attacking the very person who gave them power," he quipped. -- UNI

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