Maintaining that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had no other alternative but to resign from the Lok Sabha membership, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday demanded that Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee should also follow suit on the issue of holding an office of profit.
"Sonia Gandhi should have resigned a day earlier. However, she resigned under compulsion to save herself from humiliation in the wake of demands for her resignation for enjoying offices of profit," BJP vice-president and former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi told reporters in Kolkata.
Just what is an office of profit?
"Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee too should resign in line with Sonia Gandhi for enjoying an office of profit," Marandi said, adding that it was 'unfortunate' that Parliament was adjourned on Wednesday on the issue, with the Congress seeking to bring an ordinance 'to save Sonia Gandhi after getting scared to face the opposition in both the houses.'
He described the Congress' move to bring such an ordinance as a 'severe attack' on the morality in politics.
All options open on ordinance: PM
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee called for the resignation of 11 Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders, including Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, whom she accused of holding offices of profit.
"We have already moved President A P J Abdul Kalam and the Election Commission on March eight, seeking action against 11 CPI(M) parliamentarians who enjoy offices of profit," Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata.
Supporters hail Sonia's 'sacrifice'
"If Jaya Bachchan could be disqualified, how can they continue? They have to follow law and law is the same for everyone," she asserted, alleging that many legislators in West Bengal were enjoying offices of profit as well. But since the assembly had already been adjourned sine die prior to coming elections, there was no need to make this an election issue, she added.
Back in New Delhi, Janata Dal (United) asked all Congress parliamentarians to emulate the example set by their leader Sonia Gandhi.
'Sonia has called BJP's bluff'
"We welcome Sonia's resignation. Now (Rajya Sabha member) Karan Singh should give up the post of Chairman of Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Even Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee should quit his Parliament seat," JD (U) spokesman Shambhu Srivastava told reporters.
If Congress parliamentarians wanted to prove that they are ardent followers of Sonia, they should resign and seek re-election to the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, he added.