By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh Sunday accused Congress leader Digvijay Singh of insulting Manyata, the wife of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt whom the party wants to field as a candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. Digvijay Singh, however, said he was misquoted.
“Digvijay Singh refused to recognise Manyata and insulted her,” Amar Singh told reporters here as he continued his tirade against the Congress leader.
When reporters Saturday sought Digvijay Singh’s reaction to Manyata’s name being proposed as the Samajwadi Party candidate, he asked: “Who is Manyata?”
The Samajwadi Party proposed Manyata’s name in case Sanjay Dutt was not allowed to contest the polls because of criminal cases against him.
“Suppose I ask: who is Laxman Singh. Is he the same person as Digvijay Singh’s brother who is in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)?” Amar Singh said sarcastically.
Later Sunday, Digvijay Singh said: “I strongly refute that I have said things attributed to me.”
Amar Singh has warned Digvijay Singh against creating tensions between the two parties that are discussing seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections.
“Digvijay Singh called our party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav a corrupt person in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, some other Congress leaders and Mulayam’s younger brother Ram Gopal Yadav,” Amar Singh alleged earlier in the day.
“It was thanks to Rahul Gandhi, who intervened and got Digvijay Singh to apologise,” Amar Singh claimed, and added that such conduct was not good for the future of their alliance.
“Digvijay Singh has said that all options are open for them in Uttar Pradesh (on poll alliance). We welcome their options but such statements are not in favour of an alliance and they have to decide whether they are fighting us or the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP),” Amar Singh said.
While the seat sharing for the alliance has not been finalised, the Samajwadi Party has already announced 47 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Asked about the possibility of alliance, Amar Singh expressed his faith in Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
“I am still hopeful for the alliance, because we have accepted the leadership of Soniaji,” he said.
Amar Singh also said alliance or no alliance, the Samajwadi Party would not put up its candidates in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the parliamentary constituencies of Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi respectively.