Amar Singh advised me to rejoin Congress: Sanjay Dutt

New Delhi: Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt on Sunday claimed that his "return" to the Congress came on the "advice" of Rashtriya Lok Manch chief and former Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh.

"It was Amar Singh himself who gave me the advice that I should return to the Congress. He reminded me that owing to my family`s long association with the party, the Congress to me is like blood flowing in my veins", Dutt told reporters in Allahabad. The 53-year-old actor also said that he was very disturbed and disappointed over the way the Samajwadi Party had treated Amar Singh. Dutt had joined the Samajwadi Party shortly before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and, with the backing of Amar Singh, was straight-away made the party`s national general secretary. The party had also mulled fielding him from the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, but had to withdraw the decision as Dutt`s conviction in an Arms` Act case ran the risk of his being disqualified from contesting the polls. The actor`s father Sunil Dutt was Congress leader till his death in 2005. He was also the Union Cabinet Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs. Sanjay Dutt`s sister Priya Dutt is also a Congress MP from North Mumbai. ANI