Jethmalani withdrew offer to Sonia Gandhi after Congress continued disrupting Parliament

New Delhi, Jan 14: Senior advocate and MP Ram Jethmalani had offered to defend Congress President Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case but "revoked" it when she did not act on his "advice" to allow Parliament to function in the normal way.

He had made the offer to Gandhi in a letter on December 10, 2015 telling her that he had "no reason to doubt" her stand that the prosecution instituted against her and Rahul by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy is "false and malicious".

"But this is to be established in Court and not by tumult and disorder in the Rajya Sabha", he told Gandhi at a time when Congress paralysed Rajya Sabha during the winter session.

The former BJP leader told Gandhi that as a senior practising counsel and Parliamentarian he was "not happy" with what has been happening in the Rajya Sabha House "for the last few days".

"The institution of Parliament is suffering total loss of public respect. This does not augur well for Indian democracy," he said in his letter. Jethmalani today put the letters written by him to Gandhi on his blogspot.

He told Gandhi that he neither needed any fees nor any other favour from her.

"My services will be service to the nation".

"I hope you will allow the Parliament to function the normal way", he had said concluding the letter in which he had also referred to himself as an "expelled" member of the BJP and "you know my role in recent Bihar elections".

Jethmalani had pitched for Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister.

PTI