Cong says ‘sovereignty’ word was never used by Sonia Gandhi, deletes 'erroneous' tweet

The Congress' clarification came after the EC asked Mallikarjun Kharge to clarify and rectify the party's social media post on Karnataka's sovereignty remark.

Published on: May 11, 2023, 11:34:12 IST

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The Congress on Wednesday said the word "sovereignty" was never used by former party chief Sonia Gandhi in her campaign speech in Karnataka's Hubbali and deleted the party's tweet which had "erroneously" attributed the word to her.

The Congress shared a screenshot of Sonia Gandhi's speech in Hindi on its Twitter handle as well as a YouTube video link of the speech.

The Congress' clarification came after the Election Commission on Monday asked AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to clarify and rectify the party's social media post on Karnataka's sovereignty remark attributed to Sonia Gandhi.

"The word ‘sovereignty’ was never used by Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji in her speech dated May 6, 2023 at Hubballi, Karnataka. Since this has been erroneously reported - it is being deleted," the Congress said in a tweet Wednesday.

READ | Karnataka Assembly Election 2023: Cong to win 100-112 seats, BJP 83-95, says ABP-CVoter Exit Poll

The Congress shared a screenshot of Sonia Gandhi's speech in Hindi on its Twitter handle as well as a YouTube video link of the speech.

A row had erupted over the remark with the BJP on Monday moving the Election Commission seeking an FIR against Sonia Gandhi and her party's derecognition. The poll panel had asked the Congress to clarify and rectify the party's social media post.

After Gandhi addressed a campaign rally in Hubballi in Karnataka on Saturday, the Congress tweeted from its official handle: "CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas: 'The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity'."

READ | JD(S) to suffer setback in up to 25 'winnable seats' due to funds crunch, admits Kumaraswamy

The tweet has now been deleted. The EC letter to Kharge had come following a complaint by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In its complaint, the BJP alleged, "Karnataka is a very important member state in the union of India and any call to protect the sovereignty of a member state of the Union of India amounts to a call for secession and is fraught with perilous & pernicious consequences.

A former Congress chief, Sonia Gandhi is currently the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP had attacked the Congress over the issue.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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