Cong serves notice on producer of film on Sonia

New Delhi, Jul 11: The Congress today issued a legal notice, repudiating the claim of a producer and a director that they had the tacit support and approval of Party President Sonia Gandhi for making a film based on her life and family.

The notice, sent through Party Treasurer Motilal Vora, which has been settled by Vice-Chairman of the Party's media cell and senior counsel Dr Abishek Manu Singhvi has warned the respondents - Jagmohan Mundra (Director) and Ms Sunanda Murli Manohar (Producer) and Rashid Kidwai (whose book on Ms Gandhi was the basis of the purported film)- of appropriate legal action if they proceeded with the project.

The Congress strongly denied the claim of the respondents that they had been given authorisation, implied or explicit.

''The Congress is concerned and surprised that the purported movie, claiming to be a biographical account of the life of Ms Gandhi, is sought to be produced, without in any manner, directly or indirectly, seeking or obtaining the consent or authorisation of either the Party or Ms Sonia Gandhi,'' the notice says.

The Party told the respondents to desist from making such misleading claims regarding authorisation, approval or consent, tacit, implied or explicit.

It has also made it clear that it reserves all rights to take appropriate legal action in all fora in respect of any step already taken by the three respondents or adopted in future.

The Congress denied that the book was the authentic and authorised biography on Sonia Gandhi.

''The Congress denies, retutes and challenges the accuracy of your proposed venture and does not accept that it is in any manner, partially or fully, a fair or correct protrayal of its President,'' the notice says.

UNI