Sonia Gandhi resigns Lok Sabha seat

New Delhi, Mar 23: Congress President Sonia Gandhi today announced her resignation as a Lok Sabha member and Chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) following complaints seeking her disqualification for holding an office of profit.

In a statement, Ms Gandhi said that in the last two days an atmosphere was being built up in the country to give an impression that the government and Parliament were ''being misused for my cause only.'' ''This has hurt me greatly,'' she said and clarified that she had already stated that she came to politics and public life not for any personal gains.

Reading out a statement in Hindi, Ms Gandhi said ''I have already stated I did not come into public life to further my personal interests. I have resolved to serve the Indian society and secular values.'' ''Therefore, I am resigning from the Lok Sabha membership in consistent with public life and political values,'' she said.

She also clarified that she was quitting the post of NAC Chairperson.

Ms Gandhi said she was confident that the brothers and sisters in Rae Bareli, her constituency, and the entire country would appreciate her feelings. She said she would contest again from Rae Bareli, but refused to say anything on a reported ordinance to take out certain posts from the purview of the office of profit.

The Congress President made the announcement after a two-hour meeting, at her official residence at 10 Janpath, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, her Political Secretary Ahmed Patel and AICC General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi.

UNI