Singhvi and Union Minister Kapil Sibal contradicted each other over the issue. On December 3, Sonia made the merchant-of- death remark in Navsari in Gujarat. On December 7, after Modi referred to that line to justify his Sohrabuddin speech, Sibal said Sonia’s target was not Modi and she was talking about “certain state functionaries.” At a press conference the next day, Singhvi said the remarks were “too mild a description for Modi.” Within hours of the AICC briefing, Sibal clarified that he had “never said the remarks were meant or not meant for Modi.” On December 10, Singhvi said “nobody was named in her speech,” and the reply to the EC was filed the next day.

AICC media department chairman M Veerappa Moily submitted a report to Sonia explaining the circumstances around the apparent flip-flop. Moily said in his report that Sibal’s brief was only to comment on the Gujarat government’s claims on development.