New Delhi: Congress today dismissed as a "non-issue" a complaint seeking disqualification of party president Sonia Gandhi as a Lok Sabha member for receiving a Belgian honour. Party sources said the complaint appeared to be a "motivated campaign" by interested persons to sensationalise a non-issue.

"It is a civilian decoration, not a title, not in any manner violative of the Indian Constitution," senior advocate and party MP Abhishek Singhvi is understood to have written to the Election Commission. In a rare split verdict, the Election Commission yesterday decided to serve a notice on Gandhi on a complaint by a Kerala advocate that her receiving the Order of Leopold honour in 2006 amounted to owing allegiance to Belgium.

In the letter, Singhvi has also underlined the fact that the Belgian Prime Minister had in his speech on the occasion said Gandhi was being given the decoration for her contribution to Indian society as also Indian democracy. Besides, Singhvi told the EC that there is no pecuniary or any office of profit benefit.

When asked to comment by reporters on the EC's notice, Singhvi, who is also AICC spokesman, said that there is no intimation of any such notice to Gandhi and that the party was not privy to any decision of the Commission.

Source : PTI