Monday, May 9 2005 08:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai/New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Union Minister Sunil Dutt last night (May 8, 2005) publicly attacked Congress high command's recent controversial decision to induct former Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Nirupam into the party saying All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi had not been given correct information about him.

However, Congress general secretary Margaret Alva in charge of party affairs in Maharashtra defended Nirupam's induction saying he was taken after consulting leaders from the State including Dutt.

Dutt, the Sports Minister, who had defeated Nirupam in last year's Lok Sabha poll, which he had contested as a Shiv Sena candidate, gave vent to his anger over the Congress high command's decision saying Sonia had not been told that the former Shiv Sainik had called a great person thespian Dilip Kumar a "traitor".

"If Sonia Gandhi knew the truth about Sanjay Nirupam and if she had been given correct information about him, she would not have taken into the party-fold a tainted person like him," Dutt said.

He said Gandhi was being "misguided" with "incorrect" information that he had agreed to Nirupam's induction into the party.

"If I had agreed to his (Nirupam's) induction, I would have been the first to accord him a reception here," Dutt said at a meeting organised by North Mumbai District Congress Committee President Kamruddin Merchant to express their support for the actor-turned-politician in Mumbai.

A visibly agitated Dutt said that during his meeting with the party High Command that he (Dutt) had said that wrong had been done by Nirupam's induction into the party and it would affect Congress' secular credentials.

Alva said Nirupam was admitted into Congress after deliberations with State leaders including those belonging to minority communities, as well as Dutt.

Besides, Nirupam has also apologised personally to Dutt for having made remarks against Congress when he had been in Sena, she told Aaj Tak.

Nirupam has said that he has all those remarks behind him and expressed desire to work as a member of secular party like Congress, according to Alva.

She said many people from other parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, had joined Congress. When they were in other parties they must have said something about Congress but on joining Congress accepted Sonia Gandhi's leadership, Congress' ideals and programmes and Nirupam too has done that, Alva pointed out.

Replying to a question about Dutt's charge that Sonia was "misled" about Nirupam, Alva said there was no question of misleading anyone and facts were put up before the Congress chief by all people.

"All gave their opinions and I think finally this is Congress president's decision taken after consulting everyone," Alva said.