The PMO said reports in recent weeks linking Modi’s apparent displeasure over ‘the conduct of some union ministers and alleged misconduct of the home minister’s son’ were ‘plain lies’

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) came out in support of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, denying that the minister’s son wasn’t fielded in the Uttar Pradesh byelections due to alleged misconduct. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said, “This has reference to reports appearing in a section of the media over the past several weeks, mentioning the Prime Minister, and referring to the conduct of some Union Ministers, and alleged misconduct of the Home Minister’s son.

The reports are plain lies, motivated and constitute a malicious attempt at character assassination and tarnishing the image of the government.” The statement further read, “Those indulging in such rumour-mongering are damaging the interest of the nation. These reports are strongly denied.” The PMO came out with a categorical denial shortly after Rajnath Singh threatened to “quit politics and stay at home” if any of the allegations against his family was proved. “If any allegations against me or any of my family is proved, then I will quit politics and stay at home,” he told reporters here.

The home minister was reacting to reports which had said he was upset that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not want the BJP to field Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh from Noida in the by-election next month. “For the last fifteen to twenty days, there have been a lot of baseless rumours circulating.

I thought I should not bother with it because rumours have no basis and they will die soon, but I have seen that the rumours are just growing. I want to assure the nation that the day any charges are proved against me or any member of my family, I will quit politics that day and sit at home,” Singh told the media here. “I have even talked to the Prime Minister, who too has expressed his incredulity at my predicament,” he added. Rajnath Singh said he had spoken to both Modi and BJP president Amit Shah and “both were surprised and have termed (the reports) baseless”.

The PMO said reports in recent weeks linking Modi’s apparent displeasure over “the conduct of some union ministers and alleged misconduct of the home minister’s son” were “plain lies”. “The reports are plain lies, motivated and constitute a malicious attempt at character assassination and tarnishing the image of the government,” the statement said. “Those indulging in such rumourmongering are damaging the interest of the nation. These reports are strongly denied.” The Bharatiya Janata Party didn’t give a ticket to Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh who was seen as a frontrunner for an assembly by-election in Noida.