Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Karun Shrivastava has been asked to submit the report within a month.

Sonia Gandhi, during her recent visit to Pulgaon in Wardha district and Mumbai on March 6, had blasted the alliance government for ``protecting persons involved in criminal and anti-social activities.''

Rane said the decision to investigate the Congress leaders was prompted by a series of ``false and baseless charges'' against the alliance government and requests by prominent leaders to ask the Home department for such information.

``When the Congress was in power, it was routine practice to submit report on the members of the oppositionparties. The only difference is that I have asked for specific information on the antecedents of the Congress leaders,'' the chief minister told The Indian Express.

Therefore, ``I have asked Shrivastava to expeditiously submit him a detailed report on the antecedents of Congress leaders including former chief ministers, cabinet members, present and former legislators, members of Parliament and also members of local bodies,'' Rane said.

The Home Department has now asked the Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to get the information in the prescribed format. Commissioner of Police R H Mendonca has been given the task of collating the data.

Rane alleged that a large number of Congress leaders were directly or indirectly involved in criminal activities including rape and rioting.

``The Congress was directly responsible for the tandoor scandal that rocked New Delhi two years ago,'' Rane said.

``Sonia must remember that those staying in glass houses must not throw stones.''

Once thereport is out, the chief minister declared, ``people will know the reality.''

Endorsing Rane's decision, a senior BJP minister said it was ``shocking'' that Sonia Gandhi was accusing the alliance of encouraging criminals.

``It was (Deputy Chief Minister) Gopinath Munde's whirlwind statewide tour against criminalisation of politics that helped the (BJP-Shiv Sena) alliance capture power in Maharashtra,'' he said.

``Munde's campaign was directed against a section of top Congress leaders. Neither the BJP nor the Shiv Sena support criminals in politics or elsewhere.''

Even as leader of the Opposition, the minister said, Munde had attacked the Congress for its links with criminals. The deputy chief minister had zeroed in on calls made to Dubai from the official chamber of then Minister of State for Home Arun Mehta, he pointed out.