Sonia’s refusal is a magnanimous gesture: Sharad Joshi

NAGPUR, MAY 19 (PTI)

Ridiculing senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj for her opposition to Congress President Sonia Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister, Swantantra Bharat Paksha, an ally of NDA, today termed Gandhi’s refusal to occupy the top post as a `magnanimous gesture’.

Party president and founder of Shetkari Sanghatana, Sharad Joshi, who joined NDA on the eve of Lok Sabha polls, termed as "ridiculous" the statements and threat of Swaraj of tonsure her head in the event of Gandhu becoming the Prime Minister.

"It makes no impact if somebody is threatening to kill oneself if Sonia does not agree to lead the government," Joshi told reporters here.

He said the refusal of Gandhi to occupy the highest office in the largest democracy in the world is simply great.

Joshi who is a protagonist of separate Vidarbha state, said his party would be launching a fresh movement shortly. He demanded free power to farmers in Maharashtra on the lines of those in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.