The Hindu : Front Page : I will abide by party directive: Raje

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Saturday, Aug 29, 2009
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I will abide by party directive: Raje

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Currently battling on various fronts including her party leadership in Delhi, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje got back on the media here on Friday to clarify her position on “misgivings” over her moves. For the second time in a fortnight she complained against the media, especially the television channels, for “misrepresenting the facts” about her intentions.

Ms. Raje, who is expected to meet the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Delhi soon in connection with her resignation as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, in a brief statement here reiterated her “unflinching loyalty” to the party and her willingness to abide by its directives.

“I am a disciplined soldier in the party. For me, the party’s directives are above everything,” she asserted.

Ms. Raje, who had a fairly long interaction with the media persons the previous day during a sit-in protest by the BJP MLAs at the porch of the State Assembly over the issue of suspension of three party MLAs, appeared disappointed over the outcome of her act. “I have said it before too that a section of the media is trying to malign me running reports based on their imagination and not on my words or my byte,” the former Chief Minister said.

Ms. Raje, who has been served an order by the party leadership to quit as the Leader of the Opposition, seemingly got annoyed over reports in some of the TV channels and newspapers giving the impression that she might still try to browbeat a war-weary party leadership. The media seemingly over-stretched the part in which she said “in whatever capacity I am, I will continue to serve Rajasthan” to create the impression that she might not, after all, abide by party the directive.

Friday’s brief statement from her also tried to clear Ms. Raje’s position vis-À-vis the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “My relationship with the Sangh goes back to the time of Rajmata Saheb (her mother, the late Vijayraje Scindia) and it is both spiritual and familial,” she said.

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