Congress doesn't welcome Amar's 'thank you'

NEW DELHI: "A de facto situation has now become de jure" was how Congress on Friday described the removal of Satyavrat Chaturvedi from the panel of spokespersons. "He was not briefing the media for an year now," party spokesman said.

The comment virtually amounts to denying the SP leader Amar Singh the satisfaction of forcing the Congress to demote Chaturvedi, who had become a thorn in his flesh.

The reports that the decision to drop Chaturvedi was taken for appeasing Amar Singh saw the SP leader sending out a ���thank you��� message to the Congress leadership through the media. He had told reporters last night that he was grateful to the Congress for acting against Chaturvedi.

Mr Chaturvedi had on Wednesday said Amar Singh���s ���mental condition was not that stable��� and that the SP leader needed ���urgent medical help���. He had made a similar remark about Mr Singh a few months ago. The SP went off its collective rocker over this remark.

It came just a day after the SP leaders complained to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about Congress leaders offending them through public statements. ���We belong to a supporting party. We rescued the government. But yet we are treated shabbily by Congress leaders like Chaturvedi and Digvijay Singh,��� the SP leaders had told the prime minister.