Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today condemned as "shameful" Congress leaders in West Bengal signing an affidavit "swearing unqualified allegiance" to the party led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
"Congressmen in Bengal signs an affidavit on Rs.100 stamp paper promising not to attack party line and Gandhis. What a great shame.
"It is promises that matters not the promissory note. A new innovation in Indian politics," Naidu said on Twitter.
In a novel method to prevent its newly-elected MLAs from defecting to the Trinamool Congress, as was widely speculated, Bengal Congress president Adhir Chowdhury had on Tuesday proposed the 44 legislators to sign an affidavit declaring they would not leave the party.
The affidavit had an undertaking by MLAs "swearing unqualified allegiance" to the party led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and a promise that they will not "get involved in any anti-party activity".
