The Hindu : National : Ties with family of Nehru-Gandhi not hit: Bajaj

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Monday, Jun 19, 2006

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National

Ties with family of Nehru-Gandhi not hit: Bajaj

New Delhi: Industrialist Rahul Bajaj has said that his recent election to the Rajya Sabha defeating the Congress candidate has not affected his relationship with the Nehru-Gandhi family.

"If our relationship of 70 years can be spoilt by such an action then that relationship is not worth having," he told CNN-IBN when asked if his ties with the Nehru-Gandhi family had been affected.

The industrialist's grandfather Jamnalal Bajaj was Congress treasurer and a CWC member and father Kamal Nayan Bajaj was a three-time Congress MP.

"Not worth it"

Mr. Bajaj said: "If a 70-year-old relationship with anybody can be lost because of an incident like this, then that relationship is not worth it; and my relation as you said is from the time of Gandhiji, Indiraji, Rajivji and now Soniaji."

Mr. Bajaj said the Congress president and her political secretary Ahmed Patel had told him he would have got Congress support if he had approached the party three days earlier, a press release issued by the channel said.

Asked whether he asked Ms. Gandhi for Congress support, he said, "100 per cent."

To a repeated query whether Ms. Gandhi said no and whether he was scared to admit it, he said, "What is there to be afraid of, why should I be afraid of anybody? Does she pay my salary? Does anybody pay my salary except my shareholders?'' — PTI

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