New Delhi: Congress, on Sunday, sought to put a lid on all controversial statements made by party leaders during poll campaigning in Uttar Pradesh by virtually snubbing Law Minister Salman Khurshid over his remarks on sub quota after the Election Commission's censure.

Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi's assertion that Congress always wants partymen to speak as per "norms of public life" and the "law of the land" comes at a time when a number of senior Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh have made statements which did not go down well with party leadership.

Khurshid's earlier statement in Azamgarh that party chief Sonia Gandhi was in "tears" when she saw the photograph of Batla House encounter also did not find any takers in AICC, which feels the name of Gandhi family should not be dragged into controversies unnecessarily.

Sources in the party said it was not approporiate to drag the family name this way into such sensitive issues.

While party general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh rebutted Khurshid's claim over the Batla issue saying, "Soniaji never cried. These are Salman Khurshid's words," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary insisted Khurshid had said something else which was interpreted differently.

Asked whether Congress was distancing from the Minister's statement, Chowdhary retorted, "We are neither distancing nor endorsing."

Khurshid also later clarified saying what he actually meant was that Gandhi had become "emotional" at seeing those photogrpahs.

PTI