Sanjay Nirupam absolved of penalty over articles on Nehru and Sonia Gandhi

Mumbai: Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) chief Sanjay Nirupam has got a reprieve on publication of the controversial articles about first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, former prime minister Indira Gandhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi published in the party's mouthpiece 'Congress Darshan'.

The party leadership has told Mr Nirupam, editor of the magazine to be more careful in future, Congress sources said.

Recently, Congress high command had sought an explanation from Mr Nirupam over the issue of articles in a party journal slamming Mr Nehru and terming Ms Sonia Gandhi's father a "fascist soldier".

The Disciplinary Action Committee of AICC headed by senior leader AK Antony has issued a show-cause notice to Mr Nirupam in the wake of the controversy.

The leadership took cognisance of articles in MRCC mouthpiece 'Congress Darshan', and discussed the issue with the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan, the sources said.

The leadership feels what happened wasn't deliberate and only a slip. The leadership feels that the matter ends here, the sources said.

"A senior congress leader has said he judges a person by his intention and expressed confidence in Nirupam. He told Nirupam that such mistakes shouldn't be repeated," the sources added.