Sonia depicted as Rani Lakshmibai in calendar

Jabalpur, June 25: Even as Congress President Sonia Gandhi being depicted as Goddess Durga created a flutter, the party today suspended a former MLA and two workers for portraying the AICC supremo as the horse-borne Rani Lakshmibai in a calendar published here. The action was taken by state unit President Subhash Yadav, on General Secretary and Madhya Pradesh in-charge V Narayanasamy's directive, against ex-legislator Kailash Sonkar, former corporator Ramsingh Jat and Lakshmi Ben.

Ms Gandhi is shown carrying Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, depicted as a child peering out of a bundle on her back.

The calender also has a poem in the Congress President's praise and it begins with the line 'Khoob ladi mardani woh toh 10 Janpath Delhiwali rani'. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appears in the background while Mr Sonkar's picture is at the bottom. A dispute erupted after the calender was exhibited at a workers' convention here and the BJP slammed the situation.

Saffron party MLA Harendrajit Singh Babbu and NSUI staged a demonstration demanding registering of a criminal case.

The poem: 'Khoob ladi mardani woh toh 10 Janpath Delhiwali rani Chali akeli hi mardani, ladne ko diwani Rah mein badta gaya kafila, mann mein kuch thi thani, Bahu desh ki ban ke aayi, beti payi Priyanka Beta Rahul saath ho liya, lagi unhe bhi Priyanka Bachke dakiyanusi logon se, aage badna hai Bhooke majboor logon ke khatir, hi ladna hai, Saas pati ki qurbani ne, asar kiya kuch aisa Gali gali mein charcha hoti, vansh hua na aisa Khatron ki parwah nahin ki, toofanon ko hai jhela, Khel bhavna rakh ke mann mein, khel khiladi jaisa khela, Gale lagaya jab bhookon ko, god liya nange bachchon ko Sinhasan tak pahunch gayi, par baithala Manmohan ko, Nehle pe dehla mara, kootniti ke shatir ko.

Desh bade aage ko aisa, milke kuch kar dalo Gardish ke marey 'bebas' hai, nazar unhi pe dalo.'

UNI