Sonia was asked to respond within three weeks by the three-member Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy after a split verdict of 2-1, a rare difference in opinion in the EC in recent times.

The Commission also asked the External Affairs Ministry to furnish details within three weeks about Gandhi receiving the ‘Order of Leopold’ from the Belgium government in November, 2006.

The 61-year-old Sonia found herself in the midst of a controversy following a complaint last year from an advocate from Kerala seeking her disqualification from the Lok Sabha alleging it amounted to owing allegiance to the Constitution of that country.

She was honoured with the ‘Order of Leopold’, the second highest civilian award in Belgium, and an honourary doctorate by the Belgian government during her visit to the European country in November, 2006.

Reacting to the development, Congress spokesman Shakil Ahmed said that Gandhi had done “nothing wrong” by accepting the award and several leaders in the past had been bestowed with such honours.

The BJP, however, sought to turn it into a controversy by asking Gandhi to “clear the cloud of suspicion” over her allegiance to a foreign country.

Reply

Congress tonight dismissed as ‘laughable’ the complaint seeking disqualification of its chief Sonia Gandhi from the Lok Sabha for receiving a Belgian honour and said it will give a ‘strong and fitting reply’ to the Election Commission notice to her.

“The complaint is baseless and motivated. To suggest that receiving of a foreign citation or decoration is office of profit or foreign allegiance is laughable”, said party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi.