Wednesday, March 29 2006 15:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moga: Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) chief Parkash Singh Badal today (Mar 29, 2006)described Congress president Sonia Gandhi's decision to quit her Lok Sabha seat as mere "drama" and not a sacrifice.

"Sonia took the step after she came to know the President would not sign an ordinance to bail her out of the 'office of profit' controversy," Badal told reporters here.

"Sonia knew that the President was averse to signing the ordinance sensing that it would put the Congress in danger, she decided to quit the Lok Sabha seat", he said.

Badal was also critical of the Punjab government's policy of handing over schools and dispensaries to panchayats and claimed that the institutions lacked adequate staff.

The Akali leader said he was confident the Congress would be ousted in the coming Vidhan Sabha elections in Punjab and the SAD-BJP combine would return to power in the state.