Jayanthi Natarajan claims she was forced into attacking PM Modi on snoopgate

Former Union Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, who quit Congress on Friday said she did not want to attack Narendra Modi on the snoopgate issue but did so "following the wishes of the party's high command."

"I didn't think it was a correct thing for me to take up (the issue) as a minister or as a spokesperson. We should attack a person on policy and government," she said.

On being asked why she went on to do it, she said "I did it. I did not resist. Am not saying I resisted and they pushed me there. I said I voiced my objections, I felt pressurised as a loyal member as the party, I felt it was my duty to do it and I did it.."

Elaborating on the issue, she claimed Congress' media cell head Ajay Maken had called her while she was on tour and said she was wanted in Delhi to attack Modi on the snoopgate issue. She said she had told Maken that she was a minister and was "stopped" from giving press briefings since it would be seen as the view of the government and hence, she thought the spokesperson should do it.

"Maken had said the decision was the view taken at the highest level, to which I said I was not happy because one should attack him on policy and not on issues such as this." On Maken repeating that the decision was taken at the "highest level", she said, "I was asked to return to Delhi against my own wishes. Following the wishes of the party's high command, I attacked Modi and on TV subesquently. I was deputed only for this purpose to attack Modi on Snoopgate."