New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, facing a disqualification petition, has rejected the charge that she had in any way owed allegiance to the Constitution of Belgium by receiving a honour from the European country.

Gandhi took this stand in her reply to the notice served by the Commission last month and made it clear she has not chosen to become a member of the Association which gives the Order of Leopold, the EC sources said, adding, the Commission would examine her reply.

The EC had asked Gandhi to respond within three weeks after the notice following a split decision among the three-member Commission was sent.

61-year-old Gandhi found herself in the midst of a controversy following a complaint last year from an advocate from Kerala seeking her disqualification from the Lok Sabha for receiving the award alleging it amounted to owing allegiance to the Belgian Constitution.

Gandhi is understood to have said in her reply that she has not chosen to become a member of the Association of the Order of the Leopold.

The Commission had also asked the External Affairs Ministry to furnish details within three weeks about Gandhi receiving the Order of Leopold from the Belgium government in November, 2006.

She was conferred the Order of Leopold, the second highest civilian award in Belgium, and an honorary doctorate by the Belgian government during her visit there in November 2006.

Congress had already said that Gandhi had done "nothing wrong" by accepting the award and several leaders in the past had been bestowed with such honours.
Source : PTI