The Hindu : Front Page : Comments misrepresented: Matherani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 03, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Comments misrepresented: Matherani

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: India's Ambassador to Croatia, Aniel Matherani, on Friday denied he had granted an interview to India Today, the news magazine that in its latest edition carried a report on the Volcker issue.

He said an informal, off-the-record conversation was "totally distorted'' and reproduced "out of context.''

Mr. Matherani told television networks that he had not granted any interview and charged that publishing an informal interaction was a "breach of privacy.''

"I gave no interview to India Today. It was an off-the-record conversation and it is completely unethical to have clandestinely recorded an off-the-record conversation and publish it. This is a complete breach of privacy,'' he told the networks over phone.

"It [the magazine] has completely misrepresented my comments in the off-the-record conversation and totally distorted it.''

"Vehemently and unequivocally'' denying that he had said anything about oil vouchers being allotted to the Congress, Mr. Matherani said it was a "complete distortion of facts and total falsehood and fabrication''.

Mr. Matherani said he had not said anything new about the programme and itinerary of the Congress delegation in Iraq that was not already known, adding that the former External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, himself said that his son Jagat Singh had gone to Iraq with him.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page