NEW DELHI: Union Minister Arjun Singh on Sunday said he had drawn the attention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remarks made by Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal on the reservation issue.

"I have drawn the attention of the Prime Minister and he would do what is appropriate," Mr. Singh said at a press conference here. He refused to join issue with Mr. Sibal whose remarks were interpreted as being against reservation for Other Backward Classes in elite educational institutions.

He said he would not take questions on the issue till May 11 when the results of the Assembly elections would be declared. However, in response to a question, Mr. Singh said he would appeal to the medical students who had launched a stir against reservation not to listen to those instigating them.

The reason for the press conference at Parliament House Annexe, he said, was to appeal for a speedy trial in the defamation case filed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh against him in 2004 at Jagadhari in Yamunanagar district of Haryana. He circulated a detailed note on his battle against the organisation. During the 40-minute interaction, he took a range of questions from the impact of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, party affairs, work being done by his Ministry and also discounted reports that his recent moves were aimed at stirring the political cauldron.

Mr. Singh said, "During the last fortnight wild stories, some imaginative and some not so imaginative, are in circulation accusing me of conspiracy. I have been in public life for 57 years and I do not believe in conspiracy. Only cowards indulge in conspiracy."

On issues such as reservation, Narmada and others, the Union Minister said he had not raised any issue on which the Congress did not have a view. "The Congress is a party committed to ideology which spells out schemes for the people."

He said the UPA Government was taking steps in line with the Common Minimum Programme and denied any dilution in the non-aligned policy. However, he described the engagement with the United States, as "a new phenomenon" but said it was "within the framework of national interest." He said there might be differences with the Left parties, but even they cannot say that the Government had forgotten the CMP though "the emphasis has changed."

On the remarks of the former External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, on the Volcker report, Mr. Singh said that if he had said anything that violated party discipline, action could be taken against him. He said a party member could not apportion acts done by an individual to the party.

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