ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

Orissa PCC chief meets Sonia to explain gang-rape fallout

Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Hemanand Biswal met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi this morning and apprised her of the fallout of the Anjana Mishra gang-rape.

Gandhi had summoned Biswal prior to her meeting with Chief Minister J B Patnaik. Biswal arrived in the capital last evening and met her for about 15 minutes today.

He described the incident as ''sensitive'' and said peoples' ''involvement'' in the protest bandh on Wednesday was ''natural.''

The PCC chief admitted that the incident has adversely affected the Congress image in Orissa.

''The Congress Working Committee which is meeting tomorrow may discuss this issue," he said.

Replying to a question Biswal said it was a ''good thing'' that the chief minister has announced a judicial inquiry into the incident. ''The law will take its own course,'' he added.

He refused to answer questions whether the issue of change of leadership was discussed. The chief minister in arriving in Delhi this evening.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report