"Sonia's resignation aimed at saving image"
New Delhi, March 25. (PTI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi's resignation from parliament and as Chairman of the National Advisory Council following charges of holding office of profit was intended at saving her and her party's image, CPI(M) leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said.
Agreeing that the "office of profit" issue had dented Congress' image "at least partly", he said Ms Gandhi resigned "to convince people that at least she was not responsible for all this. It was also to save her party's and her image because comparisons were being made between her and Jaya Bachchan".
Asked by Karan Thapar in an interview on CNN-IBN whether the abrupt adjournment of Parliament and Government's reported moves to bring an ordinance on the issue reminded of Emergency, he said Congress "should have applied their mind before doing that".
"They have learnt lessons from the Emergency, because Mrs (Indira) Gandhi was defeated after that. They should not revive their old ideas," the Marxist Chief Minister said.
To a question whether the UPA government had lost its moral standing by abruptly adjourning the House, Bhattacharjee said "I do not think they have totally lost moral standing and credibility, but the people have not liked it".
The CPI(M) Polit Bureau member said the main problem on the 'office of profit' issue was that its definition was "a totally grey area" and reiterated the party stand that only Parliament could solve the problem by bringing a legislation.
New Delhi, March 25. (PTI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi's resignation from parliament and as Chairman of the National Advisory Council following charges of holding office of profit was intended at saving her and her party's image, CPI(M) leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said.
Agreeing that the "office of profit" issue had dented Congress' image "at least partly", he said Ms Gandhi resigned "to convince people that at least she was not responsible for all this. It was also to save her party's and her image because comparisons were being made between her and Jaya Bachchan".
Asked by Karan Thapar in an interview on CNN-IBN whether the abrupt adjournment of Parliament and Government's reported moves to bring an ordinance on the issue reminded of Emergency, he said Congress "should have applied their mind before doing that".
"They have learnt lessons from the Emergency, because Mrs (Indira) Gandhi was defeated after that. They should not revive their old ideas," the Marxist Chief Minister said.
To a question whether the UPA government had lost its moral standing by abruptly adjourning the House, Bhattacharjee said "I do not think they have totally lost moral standing and credibility, but the people have not liked it".
The CPI(M) Polit Bureau member said the main problem on the 'office of profit' issue was that its definition was "a totally grey area" and reiterated the party stand that only Parliament could solve the problem by bringing a legislation.