TDP, SP demand Sonia's disqualification with retrospetive effect

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh and TDP leader Yerran Naidu who had petitioned the President seeking disqualification of four MPs including Congress president Sonia Gandhi for holding office of profit, today demanded that like Ms Jaya Bachchan, Ms Gandhi too should be disqualified from retrospective effect.

''The matter does not end with the resignation of Ms Gandhi. If the Election Commission can disqualify Jaya Bachchan with retrospective effect, the same criteria should be applied in the case of the Congress president too,'' said Mr Singh and Mr Naidu addressing a joint press conference here.

Mr Naidu expressed surprise that the Election Commission while replying to his petition has asked him to furnish documents in support of his office of profit allegations against only three MPs--Karan Singh, Subbirami Reddy and Kapila Vatsyayan-- and not Ms Gandhi.

''I have been asked to reply to the letter by May 15 and in my reply I am going to raise the issue of ommission of Ms Gandhi's name by the Commission,''he said.

''This is absolutely a brazen case of adopting double standard while dealing with two persons who are equal citizen of India,'' the two leaders said.

The fact that Ms Gandhi resigned from so many posts after the election commission notice shows that she was holding office of profit.

''So it is astonishing that the Election Commission in response to the petition against Ms Gandhi opined to the President that no case was made out against her since she has resigned as MP, whereas it should have effected her disqualification from retrospective effect as was done in the case of Ms Bachchan, '' Mr Naidu said.

More UNI NAZ YA VC1750