Date:12/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/12/stories/2008051250040100.htm

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Arjun renews pledge of loyalty to Nehru family

Gargi Parsai

The Minister’s recent remarks on “inner-party democracy’ and “loyalty” had stirred up a controversy

Arjun Singh

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and Union Minister for Human Resource Development Arjun Singh on Sunday renewed his pledge of loyalty and commitment to the Nehru family.

In a statement issued here, Mr. Singh said that when he met Jawaharlal Nehru in March, 1960, he pledged his loyalty to him and his family.

“This was the commitment, which is an article of faith with me. For the past 48 years of my life, I have scrupulously adhered to it. I shall do everything to maintain the loyalty and commitment to the remaining members of the family till I live,” he said.

“Needless controversies”

Dismissing as “needless and irrelevant” the controversies that were sought to be raised on the book Mohin Kahan Vishram, published by K.L. Nandan, Mr. Singh said he did not wish to join issue with anyone on the matter and that he respected the views of all his colleagues who had thought it proper to comment on it. “This is now a closed chapter as far as I am concerned,” he said.

Mr. Singh’s recent remarks on “inner-party democracy’ and “loyalty” stirred up a controversy, with several party leaders criticising him and party president Sonia Gandhi reportedly ignoring him at a public function on Saturday.

“I am pained”

“I am pained at the needless and irrelevant controversies….Some press reports have said that this is my autobiography. This book, in fact, is a compilation of articles written by different people about me. All these have been published and the granth (book) was presented to me on April 27, 2005. I am still writing my autobiography, which will be published at a future date,” he said in the statement.

The book was presented on May 9 to President Pratibha Patil at a function, which saw the participation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.