Mr. Morarji Desai, Finance Minister, to-day [April 30, New Delhi] characterised as “highly irresponsible” the remarks of Mr. R. Umanath (CPl-M) about his son. Mr. Desai was replying to the general discussion on the Finance Bill. He said his son had given up all business since 1964, and joined him as Private Secretary after he resigned his Ministership in 1964. From then on, his son had been with him. When his son accompanied him on his foreign tour, he was not paid by the Government. He came at his own expense. He did not incur any unauthorised expenditure either. Mr. Desai said that when he went to Japan, his son, who had proceeded earlier on a separate invitation, met him at Manila. Mr. Desai disclosed that his son was never given a diplomatic passport. In fact, his son had refused to take such a passport. He wondered why the members should make allegations without any verification. “Is our politics going down to this wretched level?”, he asked. Mr. Desai said he greatly appreciated the courage with which persons like Mr. Madhu Limaye and Mr. Umanath pursued matters. “But mad courage has no meaning,” he added. The Deputy Prime Minister also disclosed that when anonymous letters were written about his son to the Prime Minister, “she had passed them on to me.” But he had asked her to make her own enquiry, and she had come to the conclusion that the charges were ridiculous. Mr. Desai said that if these members thought that they had the monopoly of being honest, it was the height of arrogance.
