Sonia rules out understanding with govt

FURSATGANJ (UP), Nov 3 (PTI, UNI) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi today ruled out her party entering into an understanding with the Vajpayee Government to have Rajiv Gandhi’s name removed from the Bofors payoff charge sheet and said there were allegations that the Prime Minister’s office was protecting a big business house.

"I am not going to bargain on this issue. Not at all," she told reporters when asked if the Congress had promised cooperation with the government in Parliament in return for deletion of Rajiv Gandhi’s name from the charge sheet.

She said, "the name of a person (Rajiv Gandhi), against whom there is not a shred of evidence, is being dragged into the controversy while there are allegations that the Prime Minister’s office is protecting a big business house".

Asked whether the inclusion of her husband’s name in the charge sheet reflected the government’s "ill intent", she said she had no knowledge of its intentions.

"I am not quite sure what the government intends to do. What they have done is despicable. The government has been speaking in different voices on this issue," she said.