Manmohan Singh`s daughter slams book on PM, says it`s a betrayal
The family of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has come out in his defence after two recent books sought to question his authority as the head of the government.
Written By Deepak Nagpal|Last Updated: Apr 15, 2014, 10:47 AM IST|Source: Exclusive
Zee Media Bureau/Deepak Nagpal
New Delhi: The family of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has come out in his defence after two recent books sought to question his authority as the head of the government.
Dr Manmohan Singh`s eldest daughter Upinder Singh slammed Sanjaya Baru, the former advisor to the PM during 2004-09, saying his book `The Accidental Prime Minister - The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh` was nothing but a “stab in the back…a huge betrayal of trust...(and a) mischievous, unethical exercise”.
Upinder told a leading English daily that Baru`s book betrays the trust of the PM as well as the access to Dr Singh that he enjoyed. She also questioned the timing as well as the contents of the book.
“While I am not speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister, we are extremely angry at the exaggerated level of access the author has ascribed to himself. It is an audacious account with so-called quotes, of even the Prime Minister, which have been recorded as facts. Reported speech has been used as direct speech. Is this ethical?’’ she told the daily.
With the book being released in the middle of the General Elections 2014, Upinder said the same could not be described as an “unbiased or objective book”.
“It is absurd to say there is no political motive (behind the release of the book),” she further told the daily.
While stating Baru had told her recently that the book would be released after the elections, the PM`s daughter said the author had penned “gossip and unverified quotes”.
As a matter of fact, Upinder said, Baru was not part of the decision-making process in the Prime Minister`s Office.
The author has said that the timing of the book`s release was preponed by the publishers as they believed no one would be interested in the work after Manmohan Singh demits office post elections.
Dr Singh has stated that he was not in race for third term as PM if Congress/UPA returns to power after the Lok Sabha elections.
Baru, in his book, claimed that Dr Singh was not the final authority in decision-making and that he had been "defanged" by the Congress in his second term with Congress president Sonia Gandhi deciding on key appointments to the Cabinet and to the PMO.
The PM, Baru says, seemed to "surrender" to her and to the UPA constituents.
In another book released on Monday, former coal secretary PC Parakh said Manmohan Singh headed a government in which he had “little” political authority.
“By continuing to head a government in which he had little political authority, his image has been seriously dented by 2G scam and Coalgate although he has had a spotless record of personal integrity,” Parakh observed in his book `Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and Other Truths`.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.