'Congress Darshan' goof-up: Content editor sacked, Sanjay Nirupam tenders apology

New Delhi: The Congress party on Monday sacked the content editor of its journal ''Congress Darshan'' for publishing controversial articles criticising former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's policy on Kashmir and alleging that Sonia Gandhi's father was a "fascist soldier".

As per reports, Sudhir Joshi -  the content editor of the journal - was sacked by the party today.

The move came in response to the publication of articles in the party mouthpiece, which held Jawaharlal Nehru responsible for the present Kashmir situation, and alleged that Sonia Gandhi's father was a "fascist soldier" - leaving the Grand Old Party squirming.

An unsigned article in ''Congress Darshan'' referred to the allegation that Sonia's father was a member of the Italian fascists that lost to the Russians in the World War. "Sonia Gandhi's father Stephano Maino was a former fascist soldier," it alleged.

The write-up also described how Sonia quickly rose to the position of party president. It describes her early life in great detail, including her "ambition to become an air-hostess".

"Sonia Gandhi registered as a primary member of the Congress in 1997 and became the party's president in 62 days. She also made an unsuccessful attempt to form a government," the article said.

Another unsigned write-up in the Mumbai unit's journal, coinciding with the party's 131st Foundation Day, blamed Nehru for "the state of affairs in Kashmir, China and Tibet".

The article states that Nehru should have listened to Patel's views on international affairs and that the relationship between the two leaders remained strained.

"Despite Patel getting the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, the relations between the two leaders remained strained, and both had threatened to resign time and again," the article says.

If Nehru had embraced Patel's foresight, many problems in international affairs would not have arisen, it adds.

Both these articles, which did bear the name of their writers, were published in this month's Hindi edition of 'Congress Darshan' as a tribute to the country's first home minister Sardar Vallabbhai Patel on his death anniversary on December 15.

The controversy forced its editor and Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam to order an inquiry even as he claimed he was unaware of the content.

"I admit the mistake. Inquiry will be initiated against the editorial department which committed the mistake. We will take measures that such a mistake is not repeated," Nirupam said.

In Delhi, Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Raj Babbar said that it should be seriously looked into. "If something like this has come out in the Congress article, then the AICC will take it up," Khurshid said.