Saturday, April 1 2006 10:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The controversy over the office of profit issue that led to the resignation of Sonia Gandhi showed 'lack of wisdom and lack of understanding' in the Government but could not be termed as 'lapse', Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said.

"You could say it could be a lack of wisdom, lack of understanding but not lapse which has serious repercussions," he told Karan Thapar's 'Devil's Advocate' programme on CNN-IBN.

He said this when asked who was responsible for not properly examining the issue and failing to protect Gandhi for 22 months during which she held the Chairmanship of National Advisory Council (NAC).

"It was not a lapse due to A or B but genuinely we are all disappointed and hurt. We should have examined every position at the Centre and the states which are grey areas," Dasmunsi said.

Asked specifically who was responsible for not examining the matter, he said he would not like to blame anyone but the comprehensive assessment had not been made.

Replying to a question, he said at no point of time there was any ordinance on the issue.

"Had there been total cooperation from the opposition, we could have clarified our position," he said.

Dasmunsi had a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Buddadeb Bhattarcharyee who described Gandhi's resignation as a desperate attempt to salvage her image and that of the party.

"If that was so, he should have advised his own men," he quipped.

He also slammed the Chief Minister for reported statement that the whole handling of the situation was 'reminiscent of the Emergency era'.