Former prime minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who normally ends up explaining his comments either on the saffron party or its leadership, for a change defended himself in a press statement issued by the party on his behalf in New Delhi on Wednesday.
"I was surprised to read some extracts from the book of former prime minister V P Singh entitled Manzil Se Jayda Safar. In the book, V P Singh's claim that I was unhappy with the BJP during his tenure as prime minister is not only farther than truth but also amusing," Vajpayee said in a note written in chaste Hindi.
Vajpayee denied having at any point of time suggested to Singh to go ahead and form a new party with selected people. "I never had any conversation of this nature. Since his book is likely to create some misunderstandings, I am forced to issue this statement," he clarified.