Sorry, if we hurt Sonia Gandhi's feelings: Moily

New Delhi: A day after high-pitch drama, it's time for reconciliation. In an emotional message, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily, one of the 23 senior Congress leaders who sought urgent organisational reforms, said: "If we have hurt her (Sonia Gandhi's) feelings, we are sorry for it."

Asserting that they (all 23 senior Congress leaders) never questioned her leadership, the former Union minister defended being a signatory to the letter addressed to the interim Congress president by stressing the need for rejuvenating and restructuring the party.

In an interview to a news agency, Moily also disapproved of the media leak of the letter and called for an internal party enquiry to find out those behind it and wanted them to be punished.

"The former Karnataka Chief Minister asserted that none of 23 leaders have any intention to leave the Congress. We have never questioned the leadership of Soniaji," Moily said.

"Soniaji is like a mother to the party. We revere her even now. There is no question of any intention to hurt her feelings. If we have hurt her feelings, we are sorry for it," Moily said.

In her concluding remarks at the CWC meeting, Sonia had agreed to continue but said this arrangement cannot remain "open-ended", as the new party chief has to be selected soon.

She had also added that she does not hold anything or any kind of 'ill-will' against any of her colleagues irrespective of how hurtful were the remarks made by them.

Noting that the party is passing through difficult times, Moily said: "We do recognise the sacrifice made by Soniaji, she was reluctant (earlier to take up the post), but she gave life to Congress party. Nobody can be ungrateful to Soniaji. We still treat her as our own mother and guide the destiny of the party and also the destiny of the nation," he said.

Echoing similar thoughts, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, another signatory, said on Tuesday that they intended to convey "shared concerns" over the present environment in the county and it was done with the best interest of the party in their hearts.

He said: "The letter was written with the best interest of the party in our hearts and conveying shared concerns over the present environment in the country and sustained assault on the foundational values of the Constitution."