Mukherjee meets Cong president

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday but parried questions whether he would officiate as prime minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery on Saturday.   

"These are normal routine things. I met Congress president and I had discussions with her on certain other matters too and I am going to meet the prime minister," Mukherjee told reporters after his meeting with Gandhi.

Again asked whether he will officiate if the prime minister remains in hospital, Mukherjee said "these are theoretical propositions. We do not know how long it would
take or what would happen. This is normal, Government is there," he said.

Mukherjee said he was going to meet the prime minister because he was going for treatment and when he was abroad, Singh was in hospital.

"These are quite natural things. You should not be unnecessarily worried over and coming here in large numbers," he said.

 Meanwhile, PMO sources said that Singh may take rest for two-three weeks after the surgery.

Asked whether there would be any change in the Republic Day celebrations, in which the prime minister also takes part, the sources said, "whoever is officiating would be there".