(Repeating, correcting lead para)

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) NDA Convenor George Fernandes today denied making any derogatory remarks against President A P J Abdul Kalam and accused the CBI of dragging the latter into ongoing controversy over the Barak missile deal.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr Fernandes said he did not drag Dr Kalam into the controversy. ''To set the record straight, it was theCBI itself, in its October 10 press release, which dragged Dr Kalam to controversy,'' Mr Fernandes said.

Mr Fernandes accused Congress president Sonia Gandhi of launching ''malicious and defamatory'' campaign against him alleging he was involved in the Coffin deal during the Kargil conflict as he was the Defence Minister in the BJP-led ND regime at that time.

''The lies spoken by Ms Gandhi have been exposed as nothing wrong has been found against me. After having failed in witch hunt in the coffin issue, the government has now started to explore other avenues to continue the politics of lies and vendetta by using the CBI,'' he added.

Accusing Dr Singh of remaining a 'silent spectator' to this unprecedented misuse of the CBI by the Central government, he sasked, ''Am I to believe that you are also a party to this blatant misuse''? UNI MCN AK BD1755