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No toppling Vajpayee government, says Sonia

AICC chief Sonia Gandhi today ruled out the question of toppling the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre but said it would collapse on its own.

''We do not need any strategy to topple them. They will collapse on their own. We do not want to destabilise the government,'' Gandhi told reporters after addressing her party leaders and legislators at the council chamber of the West Bengal assembly.

On whether the BJP government at the Centre would last one more year, she said, ''I am not a political astrologer.''

Asked whether she will take the support of the CPI-M to form a government, Gandhi said, ''The question does not arise.''

Referring to former naval chief Vishnu Bhagwat, the Congress chief said, ''We are taking it (his charges) seriously. We have already demanded an inquiry by a joint parliamentary committee. We have asked our MPs to be very aggressive in Parliament on the issue of Bhagwat's sacking because it is a question of integrity and a question of corruption. The Congress will fight corruption,'' she said.

On any adjustment with Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, Gandhi said, ''There is no question of talking to her at this moment.''

Regarding the possibility of any talk with Jayalalitha, she said, ''Why not, we can talk to her.''

Asked what was her message to the state Congress, Gandhi said, ''I have told them to work hard and move unitedly.''

Replying to a question about whether she has any plan to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, the Congress chief said, ''No no such programme at this moment.''

UNI

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