Rahul Gandhi likely to meet PM Manmohan Singh tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who made strong comments against the ordinance on convicted lawmakers, is likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow to discuss the issue.

Sources said Rahul will meet Singh in the morning at his residence. The controversial ordinance is on the agenda and the two leaders are expected to discuss the way ahead on the issue.

This will be followed by a meeting of the Congress Core Group in which the Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, among others, are likely to discuss the matter.

Rahul had earlier this week said at a press conference that the ordinance is "nonsense" and should be "torn up and thrown away". Many saw this as an embarrassment for the Prime Minister and the Opposition vociferously demanded that Singh, who was on a visit to the US at the time, should step down after his return.

However, today when he was asked by the media accompanying him before he reached Delhi whether he would resign, Singh ruled out any such possibility.

The sources said the government is mulling whether to withdraw the ordinance- which was sent to President Pranab Mukherjee after the Cabinet had cleared it- or ask the President to exercise his pocket veto and sit over it.

The Cabinet is likely to take a final call on the matter tomorrow.