Advani''s remarks against Sonia ''frustrated outbursts'': Cong

New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) Congress today dubbed as "frustratedoutbursts" the veiled attack on Sonia Gandhi by senior BJPleader L K Advani, who talked of Congress president''s postbecoming a "family monopoly".

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said Advani was doingall this to remain in news after he "lost all power evenwithin his party".

"It''s an old allegation repeated by an old author. Boththe wine and bottle are old. These are the frustratedoutbursts of the person, who has used the same allegations tomake a bid for the Prime Minister''s office but has insteadbeen reduced to the permanent position of PM in waiting,"Singhvi told PTI.

He was reacting to Advani''s latest post in his blog whichsaid, "Those were the days when every year the Congress wouldhave a new President. How much things have changed since!Nowadays, Party Presidentship seems to have become a familymonopoly, and that too for life".

Countering the remarks, Singhvi said, "He (Advani) forgetsthat Congress is the first party to have regular intra-partyelections. Sonia Gandhi has been elected party presidentrepeatedly in free and fair elections."

Ridiculing the BJP leader for his remarks, he said, "Idon''t see the reason why it causes headache to a person, whohas lost all power even his own party and was dethroned as itspresident. He is now finding new ways to remain in news."

Advani said even Mahatma Gandhi, who commandedextraordinary influence over the Congress all his life becamepresident of the party only once in 1924.

Sonia Gandhi was elected party president for the fourthtime unopposed last year. The tenure of the presidentship hasalso been increased to five years from three years this time.