V C Shukla rubbishes VP Singh's assertions

Raipur, Jul 1 (UNI) Former Union Minister V C Shukla today said Jan Morcha leader and former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh's remarks about him in a book would not adversely affect the prospects of his return to the Congress fold.

''Mr V P Singh is trying to glorify himself through his book 'Manzil Se Zyada Safar'', he told newsmen here.

Mr Shukla rubbished the reference in Mr Singh's book that the then President Zail Singh had tried to topple Rajiv Gandhi government, saying that it was not true. ''It is a fact that Gyaniji was unhappy with Mr Gandhi but he had not tried to topple the government'', he asserted.

As union minister, Mr Shukla said that he used to regularly meet the President but Mr Zail Singh never spoke anything about toppling the Rajiv Gandhi government.''There is no substance in the observations made in the book'', he added.

Mr Shukla, who was reportedly making efforts for his re-entry into the Congress for the last one and a half years, said he would take a decision about his future course of action in a couple of months.

UNI JJ VD HT1610