Sonia may seek details of progress on Srikrishna Commission report

New Delhi, Aug 8 (UNI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi may write to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh seeking to know the action taken so far on the Srikrishna Commission report on 1992 Mumbai communal riots.

AICC Spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan evaded a direct reply on a battery of questions on the stand of the Congress Party with regard to the implementation of the Commission report.

"We are serious about it...But actual implementation will have to be done by the Maharashtra government," she said.

Asked if Ms Gandhi had written to Mr Deshmukh asking him to implement the recommendations of the commission, she said "we will inform you whenever we decide to write to the Chief Minister." However, party sources said that Ms Gandhi might soon seek details about the implementation of the report.

Asked if the Congress Party wanted to protect any individuals through the delay in implementing the report, Ms Natarajan said : "Our party has never been reluctant to prosecute any leader." Replying to a question, she said the issue had been discussed within the party and a view had been taken. "But we cannot inform them to you." She did not give a reply when asked why was there such a long delay in implementing the report of the Srikrishna Commission despite an assurance to the contrary given in the party's election manifesto.

UNI