Maneka Gandhi's office clarifies her statement on by-election results

Reports linking Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi's remarks to Uttar Pradesh bypolls were "highly exaggerated and misinterpreted", her office said today, apparently seeking to clarify on the comments about her son Varun Gandhi. "The reports appearing in a certain section of the media linking the Minister's answers to the questions relating to by-elections in UP are highly exaggerated and misinterpreted," her office said.

Noting that Gandhi had initially refused to take any question on politics in the press conference held yesterday, it said, she had "reluctantly replied" to a question on bypolls in UP from where she is an MP. "The minister had no intention to imply a bigger role for her son in UP politics. The minister's response pertained to the larger question of star campaigners for UP by-elections and not individually for her son," her office said. The minister primarily discussed the achievements of the WCD ministry under the new government and during her interaction with media persons but an attempt was made to ask political questions or questions that were not related to the ministry.