Click to play videoNew Delhi: Congress is in a dilemma over whether or not accept the resignation of Union Minorities Affairs Minister AR Antulay as there appears to be a divide with the party on the one side and the United Progressive Alliance Government on the other.
Sources have told CNN-IBN that senior ministers strongly disapprove of Antulay's statement on Mumbai Ant-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare's death that have put the Government in a tight spot.
The party is yet to finds an answer on what to do with Antulay.
At the hour-long core group meeting of the party, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi realised that with the Minority Affairs Minister not being in a minority within his party.
So removing Antulay may not be easy as several within the Congress are supporting his stand.
"He only said there should be an investigation as to who ordered Hemant Karkare to take the fateful route. There is no problem with that statement," Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said.
However, Singh's remarks are in stark contrast to the official Congress line.
"Congress does not share and is not in agreement with the formulation which you have read out to me. The accuracy of which I don't accept," Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told CNN-IBN.
Congress continues to remain in a fix and with support for Antulay mounting not just outside but also within his own party, the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi do realise that in an election year taking a strong action against the Minorities Affairs Minister may not be politically viable.
This despite the fact that senior ministers including Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and AK Antony have told both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi that such support for Antulay is making their task of taking strong action against Pakistan difficult.
They have even proposed a tougher line with Antulay by the end of Parliament session.
Antulay has emerged as a strong Muslim face. The doublespeak within the Congress and with the divide between the government and party obvious, Antulay may emerge the winner.
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