Wednesday, March 22 2006 16:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Congress today (Mar 22 2006) dismissed opposition contention that Sonia Gandhi's membership of Lok Sabha attracts disqualification on the ground that she holds an office of profit as Chairperson of National Advisory Council.

"They have the habit of dragging Sonia Gandhi's name. It has nothing to do with her. She is not affected", party spokseman Rajeev Shukla told sources adding that "drawing an inference on the basis of political motives is not justified."

Asked whether any ordinance or legislation was being brought forward on the issue, he said that he was not aware of it and the matter pertained to the domain of the Law Ministry and the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.

At the same time, he said that "general consensus" was emerging that MPs were being unnecessarily deprived of holding certain offices and "there should be some law by which they will get some kind of protection."