Home Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the media
In an attempt to pull the plug on what was seen as a major rift within the government, the
Prime Minister's Office and BJP President Amit Shah today staunchly defended Home Minister
Rajnath Singh, dismissing reports of his son's alleged misconduct as baseless.
A statement from the Prime Minister's office described the allegations against Mr Singh's son, Pankaj, "plain lies" and "a malicious attempt at character assassination and tarnishing the government's image."
(Read full statement)Mr Shah said he is "personally hurt by the baseless and untrue reports."
In the morning, Mr Singh, told reporters, "In the last 15-20 days, there have been continuous rumours in the air about me and my family... If any charges against any family member are proven, I will quit politics and sit at home."
Mr Singh allegedly holds another minister responsible for spreading rumours that his son, Pankaj, was recently castigated by the PM for inappropriate political conduct.
But no BJP leader elaborated on the charges against Mr Singh's son that provoked such detailed responses from the party's top rung.
Congress leader Ajay Maken said, "In public interest, we want to know what the charges are. And who are making those allegations that have pained Rajnath Singh so much that he talked about quitting politics."
Media reports today claimed that Mr Singh had lobbied unsuccessfully for his party to select his son as its candidate from Noida for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. The BJP has picked a 62-year-old woman entrepreneur as its candidate.
Pankaj Singh is a General Secretary of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh branch. BJP sources say that Mr Singh has been careful to ensure a low profile for his son and that the controversy that has engulfed him should not be linked to the by-election in Noida next month.