You were a part of the PMO as Minister of State during the period Natwar Singh was Minister for External Affairs. How do you respond to his specific allegation that files were shown to Congress president Sonia Gandhi?
Natwar Singh had a close relationship with the Prime Minister, and there is always an overlap between the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, especially as both work on foreign policy. Natwar Singh was also close to the Gandhi family and on first name basis with Mrs. Gandhi. To the extent I was involved in the workings of the PMO, and I can tell you categorically not a single file to my knowledge went anywhere it was not supposed to go. There is a specific policy mechanism by which the government was meant to implement the party’s manifesto, so when major policy decisions were taken, they were approved by the core group. To say that a file was taken and show is completely ridiculous, because the content of a file can always be discussed over the phone or in a core committee group, so taking a file and showing it is absurd.
Isn’t even sharing file information with a person with a non-Constitutional position wrong? I ask because former Media Adviser to the Prime Minister Sanjaya Baru and Mr. Natwar Singh have made the same allegations about the Manmohan Singh PMO…
They are specifically talking about taking files and them being shown. That is completely absurd. The government has to discuss policy level decisions with the core group... for example, in UPA-1 foreign policy decisions like the nuclear deal were even discussed with Left parties, and they were not in the government... but as far as files are concerned, the Official Secrets Act prevailed.
Sanjaya Baru was not party to such decisions but Natwar Singh was. He is cut up personally about what happened, but he should answer whether he showed any file from his Ministry to someone who wasn't supposed to see it. To make this general comment is wrong... they should tell us, who showed the files?
Has the PMO of Dr. Manmohan Singh, that you were a part of, been discredited?
I don’t think so, these are personal grievances of individuals whose ambitions were not fulfilled or who thought they were unfairly treated. That’s their opinion. They should come out and say this particular file was shown by me.
I can speak for myself, never ever was there a demand, nor would I accept ever of such a thing. Whatever else might be said, both Dr. Manmohan Singh and Mrs. Gandhi completely respect the spirit of the Constitution and the protocol involved.
In the aftermath of the general election debacle, the Congress is also facing trouble from rebel leaders like Narayan Rane, how worried are you?
Well, he feels certain promises made to him weren’t fulfilled... but those promises were made by others, and he is taking it out on me. He has subsequently approached the high command in Delhi, and I will await a redressal of his grievances from there.
It’s not just grievances... he wants your job...
Well, I didn't promise him my job nine years back…
Isn’t Mr. Rane the symptom of a larger problem in the Congress? In Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Assam and other States too we are seeing Congressmen vocalising grievances about the way the party is being led. It’s not just about the electoral loss, but the leadership itself.
It’s not about leadership… everyone who is complaining has also done badly in the elections. These instances have happened before.
Is there a challenge to Rahul Gandhi’s leadership then?
That's taking things too far... these are isolated incidents of grievances in 2-3 States, because some particular leaders want bigger leadership roles for themselves.
