AICC Gen Secretaries meet Sonia to express solidarity

New Delhi, Mar 21 (UNI) Several senior Congress leaders and AICC office bearers called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi here today and expressed their solidarity with the stand taken by her in resigning from Lok Sabha membership and National Advisory Council (NAC) Chairpersonship.

A large number of party workers and supporters had also gathered outside her residence at 10 Janpath since morning and were shouting slogans against BJP leaders and Samajvadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh.

Some of the leaders and MLAs including Mr Kripa Shankar Singh, MLA from Maharashtra, offered to resign from Legislative Assemblies in her support but were dissuaded by her from doing so.

The AICC General Secretaries were told to convey to the people the reaction that prompted her to resign both from the Lok Sabha and from the National Advisory Council and the false propaganda launched against her by the Opposition, according to party sources.

The AICC General Secretaries, who had met at the AICC Headquarters here last night to take stock of the situation arising out of Ms Gandhi's resignation, are believed to have apprised her of their views regarding the further course of action the party should take in the run up to the Assembly elections in five States.

Meanwhile, according to sources, a message has gone from the Congress High Command to the MPs, especially those who fall into the category of holding office of profit not to resign from their membership. A majority of the 44 MPs against whom petitions have been sent to the President seeking their disquallification on the ground of holding office of profit belong to the Congress.

UNI YS CS PC1431