Sathe pays for differing with Sonia, removed from Sandesh board
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, SEPT 25: After showing the door to Uttar Pradesh party chief Salman Khurshid, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has removed senior party leader Vasant Sathe from the post of chairman of the editorial board of the party organ Sandesh.

Sathe's ``resignation'' from the post was made official today by party spokesperson Anil Shastri, and while the latter was at pains to stress that the veteran leader had ``resigned on health grounds'', party sources said it was a fait accompli from the high command.

Sathe had come under a cloud for penning several controversial editorials in Sandesh. One of the editorials carried a veiled criticism of Sonia, even listing her shortcomings as the leader of the party. On other occasions, he had, under his signature, presented views and ideas which were not in tune with those of the party.

Sathe's exit is being seen as a part of an overall shake-up in the party's media and public relations department, which is close to being officially created. Khurshid is also likely to be accommodated in media-related assignments in the party.

Meanwhile, the party today strongly criticised the Government's handling of the oil crisis and said the indecisiveness and uncertainty on its part had led to a serious situation affecting the people and the economy. ``The inept handling of the price situation has led to the worst kind of speculation helping vested interests,'' party spokeperson Anand Sharma told reporters.He asserted that speculators were making hay in the absence of any decision and the economy was suffering. ``This is an unheard of situation where the Cabinet Ministers concerned are not in a position to decide what steps to take to combat the crisis.''

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