Political decisions cannot determine government to file appeal: Congress

CHENNAI: Congress today said "political decisions" cannot make its government in Karnataka appeal against a court verdict acquitting AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa in a wealth case, but only legal merits would be considered.

"This is something which will be determined not by political decisions but entirely by legal merits of the case," senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Milind Deora said.

He was responding to reporters' queries about opposition parties in Tamil Nadu, including DMK and Congress, stepping up pressure on Karnataka government to file an appeal in Supreme Court against Jayalalithaa's acquittal and whether his party-run government was "facing undue pressure" from them.

Incidentally, PMK had even asked Karnataka government to file an appeal against the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's acquittal.

Recalling the anti-graft legislation passed by the UPA government which disqualified an elected representative if he or she was found guilty of corruption, Deora said this was a message sent out by the previous Congress-led government against corruption.