A minister and an imposter

NEW DELHI - A Goa minister ended up embarrassing the ruling Congress when he introduced a man as the political advisor to party president Sonia Gandhi. Turned out he was an imposter.

Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao, whose daughter Valanka has been denied a ticket for South Goa, introduced a man called N.K. Sharma at a public rally saying he was close to Gandhi. The latter said Valanka was still in the nominations race.

But later, the state unit declared Sharma an ‘imposter’.

Alemao has embarrassed Gandhi in the past too. In 1999, he had called her the ‘pall bearer’ of democracy, but later apologised for the error saying he had actually meant to say ‘torch bearer’ of democracy.

So far no apology has come. But a party inquiry has been started into the matter.