Sonia, Rahul maintain safe distance'

New Delhi: In a bid to maintain a “safe distance” from the Shiv Sena led government, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday skipped the swearing-in ceremony in Maharashtra. While officially, the Congress claimed that Mrs Gandhi had to skip the ceremony due to health reasons, sources revealed that the Congress president at this juncture wanted to “maintain a distance” as the party was not yet “certain” of the “stability of the alliance”, and the “agenda of the Shiv Sena”, despite the Common Minimum Programme CMP.

The CMP states in its preamble that all the alliance partners will follow the “secular” principles as enshrined in the Constitution. Before the alliance was cemented several senior Congress leaders had reservations about aligning with the Shiv Sena. But after consultations with the elected MLAs of the party it was decided to go ahead with the alliance.  

However, Mrs Gandhi has sent a letter to the Maharashtra chief minister, Mr Thackery congratulating him. In the letter she said, “ Aaditya met me yesterday and extended your kind invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony. I regret that I am unable to be present at the function.” She further added, “ the three parties have come together under quite extraordinary circumstances at a time when the country is facing unprecedented threats from the BJP.” She also wished the alliance and hoped that the new government will fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people of Maharashtra.

Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also wrote to the Maharashtra chief minister expressing regret for not attending the function. Mr Thackery had sent his son Aaditya to personally invite Dr. Manmohan Singh and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for the swearing-in ceremony.

Earlier in the day addressing the CPP, Mrs Gandhi flayed the BJP for “shameless attempts to subvert democracy” in Maharashtra and blatantly sabotage the three-party alliance from coming to power in the state. Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting in Parliament House, she also attacked the governor of the state, Bhagat Singh Koshyari.