Sonia's birthday celebration in C'garh runs into controversy

RAIPUR: The celebration of Sonia Gandhi's birthday by Congress party here has run into controversy with the BJP strongly protesting cutting of a tricolour-shaped cake on the occasion, calling it an insult to the national flag.

Local newspapers carried photographs of Chhattisgarh Congress party leader Subhash Sharma celebrating Sonia's birthday by cutting tricolour-shaped cake.

Taking objection to it, the state BJP unit today staged a protest rally and demanded the Congress leaders apologise for the blunder.

BJP's state unit Vice President Sachhidanand Upasane said it was an insult to the national flag. The state Congress leaders were so much engrossed in praising Sonia that they forgot to show respect to the national flag, he said.

Demanding action, the BJP leaders said that they would lodge a police complaint in this connection.

City chief of Congress Indarchand Dhadiwal, however, has denied the allegation that it was a tricolour-shaped cake.

There were many colours given to the cake and there was no Ashok pillar on it, he said.

Senior Congress leaders refused to say anything on the subject with a section of them conceding it was blunder.