Friday, November 11 2005 15:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Veteran Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu today (Nov 11, 2005) ridiculed the demand of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeking removal of Sonia Gandhi as the chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) and said that the saffron party should be wound up.

"Why should she resign? The party (BJP) should wind up. They are doing a lot of harm to the country", Basu told newsmen at the state CPI-M office here when asked to comment on BJP's demand of removal of Sonia Gandhi as Chairperson of NAC.

To a question about BJP not been satisfied with the former External Affairs Minister Natawar Singh being stripped of his portfolio, Basu replied, "they will be having a discussion in Parliament. Then we will know".

To another query, the veteran Marxist leader declined to make any comment on whether Natawar Singh was removed from the External Affairs ministry under US pressure. "I cannot say it for sure whether Singh was removed under the US pressure. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has done whatever he thought best".

Basu also said that CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat who knew the whole thing about Volcker report, had made a statement. "Karat has said that Natawar Singh was not guilty. According to him his removal was unjustified".

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar had said in Delhi on Wednesday "The Congress party's name appears in the Volcker Report as that of Sonia Gandhi. She also occupies a Government post and as such she should also be removed from that post".