Dehra Dun/New Delhi: After losing a paternity suit against him, Congress veteran ND Tiwari on Friday said an "issue" should not be made out of the episode and that he had the right to live on his own terms but bore no grudge against his biological son Rohit Shekhar.
The Congress distanced itself from the episode after a result of the DNA test of the 87-year-old former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Union Minister was declared by the Delhi High Court, saying it was a "personal issue." The result showed that Tiwari is the biological father of 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar.
"I am not his illegitimate son. He(Tiwari) is my illegitimate father" said Rohit welcoming the DNA test result, adding, his further legal battle against Tiwari will depend on the opinion of his mother Ujwala Sharma.
Sharma said it was a "historic" moment for her after a prolonged legal battle and accused Tiwari of trying to "hide the truth" and putting one hurdle after another.
Tiwari did not face the media assembled outside his home in Dehra Dun for his reaction but released a statement through one of his aides Bhavani Dutt Bhatt.
The former Andhra Pradesh Governor said he always believed in the judicial system and that he will always respected the decision of the judiciary.
"Yeh mera niji mamla hai, ise tul na dein. (This is my personal matter. Don't make it an issue)," he said.
"I have the right to live my life on my owm terms. It's not correct to interfere in anyone's personal life. This case is my personal business, so I appeal to all the leaders of all the parties not to make it an issue," he added.
"Due to my simplicity, at this point of my age, my trusted people hatched a conspiracy against me in a planned way. I have no remorse against them. My sympathy is with Rohit Shekhar. I also have no grudge against Rohit Shekhar."
The Congress said the matter is someone's personal issue.
"We should not talk about somebody's personal issue like this. This is someone's personal issue. The party has nothing to do with it. This question in personally related to Tiwari. He can answer it in a better way," party spokesperson Rashid Alvi to a volley of questions on the Tiwari issue by reporters in New Delhi.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 27, 2012, 21:32