Sonia resigns from all trusts

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has, on Saturday, resigned from all the trusts and foundations that she was heading.

Gandhi, who had resigned from the Lok Sabha last month over the office-of-profit controversy, has resigned from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, the Jawaharlal Memorial Library, the Indian Council for Child Welfare Trust and the Swaraj Bhavan Trust.

She was also the president of the Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital Society, member of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, patron of the Nehru Trust for Cambridge University and the Round Square (International Group of Schools).

Last week, Gandhi had resigned as the chairperson of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial National Trust.

Gandhi is expected to file her nomination from Rae Bareli, which is going for a by-poll on May 8.

The Parliament is meeting on May 10 to redefine the office of profit.

The Congress has said that Sonia's decision to quit her posts was personal.

"She has decided to stay away from it (the offices) till the air is cleared over the issue (office of profit)," Congress spokesman Rajiv Shukla said.

Gandhi had shocked her party colleagues and the Opposition, which accused the Congress-led government of stealthily planning an ordinance that would redefine office of profit and save her from disqualification, by announcing her resignation as an MP and chairperson of National Advisory Council on March 23.

The controversy began when the Election Commission disqualified Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan from the Rajya Sabha on the ground that her post as the chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Film Development Corporation was an office of profit.