BJP criticises Sonia's resignation

The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday slammed Congress President Sonia Gandhi's decision to resign as MP and chairperson of the National Advisory Council on the Common Minimum Programme as a "desperate attempt to save her face after being caught red handed trying to subvert the Constitution and Parliament".

"Politics of revenge has recoiled back and Sonia Gandhi has become a victim of her own conspiracy. This grand standing will not help," party General Secretary Arun Jaitley told reporters.

Sonia's plans to resign as parliamentarian and NAC chairperson may be projected as a 'grand standing,' but it is a case of a 'confession of a culprit caught red-handed trying to subvert the Constitution and Parliament," Jaitley said.

While making it clear that the party was not in favour of any law being brought retrospectively, the BJP leader said, that both Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and party president Rajnath Singh, who are out of station, will return to the capital on Friday and hold a meeting of the BJP office bearers to chalk out the future course of action.

Asked whether Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and BJP's own leaders like V K Malhotra, who have also been accused of holding offices of profit, should step down as well, Jaitley said, "Every individual has his own case, which they should present before the Election Commission and the President. It is for the Commission to decide."

"The whole issue (of Ordinance to exempt MPs holding offices of profit from disqualification) was being handled by the UPA government in a pathetic and ham-handed manner," he said, adding that the ordinance was being brought to save one person.

The BJP said its assertion that the government had planned to bring forward an ordinance was evident from the fact that a Parliament in session was 'deliberately adjourned to create a situation where an ordinance could be issued.'

Did Sonia do the right thing by resigning? Tell us