Sonia's resignation, a damage control exercise of Cong: Verma

Lucknow, Mar 25 (UNI) Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Lok Sabha member Beni Prasad Verma today claimed the resignation of Congress president Sonia Gandhi was merely a damage control effort of her party after its failure to bring the ordinance on the 'office of profit' issue.

Addressing a news conference here, Mr Verma -- also a former union minister --said neither Sonia's refusal to the Prime Minister's post two years back nor her resignation this time could be termed as glory to Congress.

''By assuming the post of National Advisory Council Chairperson, she was de facto ''super PM,'' while Dr Manmohan Singh was like a puppet,'' she said.

He, however, maintained cine star Jaya Bachchan was a ''martyr'' following her disqualification from Rajya Sabha.

Calling Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav an icon for the backward community, Mr Verma claimed that anyone targetting the SP leaders would only lead to the downfall of his or her own party.

Stating there was requirement to amend Disqualification Act, he said the party would take a decision at an ''appropriate time.'' UNI MB VS PR RK1505