Sonia gives up press club membership

Congress president Sonia Gandhi gave up honorary membership of the Press Club of India (PCI) on Tuesday after an unwarranted controversy triggered by factionalism in the club.

The decision came a day after the party was at pains to explain Gandhi’s audience to the club’s office-bearers, removed from their posts after a general body meeting following charges of financial irregularities.

Party sources said AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi sent a letter to PCI’s secretary general informing him of Gandhi’s decision to give up her honorary membership with immediate effect in view of the “ongoing controversy”. Reportedly, Dwivedi had facilitated the PCI delegation’s meeting with Gandhi. Sources said Gandhi also returned the membership card presented to her by the club’s executive members.

The Congress president’s gesture to the PCI’s official faction had not gone down well with the rival faction. The PCI’s executive members supposedly met Gandhi to seek her co-operation for construction of a new club building as the present quarters are awaiting demolition.

The rival faction claimed that the club’s elections were round the corner and the office-bearers wanted to use the Sonia meeting to earn brownie points. The delegation got itself photographed with Sonia and displayed the pictures on the club’s notice board, attracting criticism from the rival faction.