Sad that Sonia asked to personally appear in court: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a two-day visit to the capital, expressed her sadness on Tuesday over the court decision asking Congress president Sonia Gandhi to personally appear before it in the National Herald case.

"It's sad that she (Gandhi) has been asked to appear personally in court. She is a very senior politician. It feels bad. But it's a court matter," said Banerjee.

A court here on Tuesday asked the Congress chief, vice president Rahul Gandhi and others to appear on December 19 in connection with a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy in the case.

Banerjee also said that she will also visit Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday to wish her on her 69th birthday. Shee will also call on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

Speaking about the Congress protest over Gandhis being summoned to court, Trinamool Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien told IANS: "The party felt that any kind of government vindictiveness is not right."