Solapur: Lashing out at Congress extending support to Ram Jethmalani, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Pramod Mahajan today (Apr 18, 2004) sought to know if Congress president Sonia Gandhi knew that "the candidate she was supporting from Lucknow was the defence counsel of the murderers of her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi?"

Mahajan, who was in Solapur in connection with electioneering for Pandharpur and Solapur constituencies said, "Is Sonia aware of the fact that Jethmalani, who is contesting against Prime Minister from Lucknow as an independent, was the defence lawyer of Indira Gandhi's murderers?"

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...
Political Parties in India

On Congress "cosying up" with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief Karunanidhi, the BJP leader sought to know if Congress president was aware that at one point of time the then party president Sitaram Kesari had written to President K R Narayanan that Karunanidhi had close relations with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the organisation involved in the killing of Rajiv Gandhi?

Mahajan said Sonia Gandhi should know that her "rehabilitated" friend, Sharad Pawar, had demanded in writing that a person of foreign origin should not be allowed to hold the Prime Ministerial post.