Sonia calls,Aiyar says sorry

It finally took a phone call from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for Mani Shankar Aiyar to withdraw his controversial remarks against Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and tender an unconditional apology. But not before Congress floor managers delved into detailed research on parliamentary history and showed the rule book to Aiyar after he refused to budge,saying he was not wrong in using the expression fascist to describe the BJP leader. He is even reported to have told colleagues that as a columnist,he did so in articles too. Aiyars contention was proved wrong by the Bible of parliamentary traditions and conventions Erskine Mays book on parliamentary practice and standards which recognises the word as unparliamentary. He was further told that former Rajya Sabha chairman Krishna Kant had held that any word could be considered unparliamentary if Mays compendium considered it so. Aiyar,however,agreed to end the two-day impasse in the Upper House only after the call from 10 Janpath. Meanwhile,a senior Congress leader was heard saying in the corridors of Parliament: What can be done when you nominate trouble for yourself?