New Delhi, (The Telegraph): The Congress appears to be rethinking an earlier plan for a massive procession to accompany Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to court tomorrow when they appear before a judge in the National Herald case.

The party leadership, keen to avoid the impression of seeking a confrontation with the judiciary, has almost decided that the accused would be quietly driven to court to submit themselves to the judicial process.

But the last-minute rethink has generated confusion among the hordes of regional party officials and activists who have already arrived in Delhi to join the originally scheduled rally in support of the Gandhi family. Many remained adamant today about marching to the Patiala House court tomorrow.

Sonia and Rahul are among six persons accused of cheating, breach of trust and misappropriation of the property of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper. The others summoned are Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda. BJP politician Subramanian Swamy had filed the complaint.

Sources indicated the Congress was reviewing its strategy because an impression had gained ground that the party was trying to use political power to pressure the government as well as the courts instead of quietly facing legal scrutiny.

Party seniors tried to contest this impression by pronouncing complete faith in the judiciary but felt that this would not be enough unless the planned demonstration was cancelled too. The Congress's lawyers too suggested that a political demonstration could backfire in court.

However, the invite to MPs and other senior politicians to reach the party headquarters around 12.30pm tomorrow has not been withdrawn.

As things stand, a high-level meeting, with all Congress Working Committee members present, will be held to express solidarity with the accused but the exercise would remain confined to the party headquarters.

After the meeting, Sonia and Rahul will travel to the court with their lawyers and a few senior politicians without any fuss, the sources said.

Yet uncertainties remain about how well this plan can be executed. A large number of outstation members who have arrived in Delhi are frantically enquiring about "tomorrow's plan" despite party seniors asking them to stay indoors.

Several former MPs, state unit officials and party workers today said they were determined to accompany their leaders to court.

The refrain among local Congress workers too was: "How can we stay at home if our leaders are dragged to the court?"

"I don't know about any strategy; I've come here on my own despite being unwell. Nobody invited me. If Soniaji and Rahul are sent to jail, we too would accompany them," a former party MP from Uttar Pradesh told this newspaper.

"We don't care about legal niceties. Standing with my leader in an hour of crisis is an emotional decision that nobody can change. I'm going to the court tomorrow."

Many Youth Congress officials too declared they would be at the courthouse.

Aware of these sentiments, the party leadership has sent out a clear message that it doesn't want any political drama around the legal process.

However, it was the leadership's accusations of a political vendetta that had in the first place sparked the frenzy that it is now struggling to contain.

Rahul had alleged that the plot originated in the Prime Minister's Office, and the party disrupted both Houses of Parliament over the issue.

Bail hint

Sonia and Rahul might seek bail tomorrow, the Congress suggested tonight, a PTI report said.

"We are open to availing all legal remedies and options, including bail," chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala was quoted as saying.

He said the party had asked its workers not to come to the court because it did not want the judicial process to be interfered with or influenced in any way.

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