The core group of the Congress, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and party President Sonia Gandhi [Images], met on Saturday night in the wake of the controversy involving Law Minister H R Bhardwaj in the statement before British authorities that there was no link between funds in two bank accounts of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi and the Bofors payoffs.

The meeting, which lasted nearly 90 minutes was attended among others by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and political secretary to Sonia, Ahmed Patel.

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"This was a routine meeting," Ahmed Patel told reporters after the meeting but refused to divulge details.

The meeting fuelled speculation over the continuance of Bhardwaj who is in the centre of a storm over Additional Solicitor General B B Dutta's statement before Crown Prosecution Service, which could lead to defreezing of the two accounts.

The Opposition has sought his dismissal saying he was intervening in the course of justice.

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