Was forced to attack PM Modi on 'snoopgate', says Natarajan in her explosive letter

New Delhi, Jan 30: Former UPA Minister Jayanthi Natarajan who announced to quit the Congress on Friday, has accused party leaders of victimising her. Natarajan has said that she has suffered the most excruciating metal agony in the past 11 months.

Among other things in her letter to party president Sonia Gandhi, Natarajan also wrote on ‘snoopgate controversy'.

She writes in the letter, "While I was still a minister, an important matter which has caused me great agitation is the fact that I was called upon to attack the present Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on what is referred to in the media as 'Snoopgate'.

"Despite the fact that I initially refused, because I thought that the party should attack Shri Modi on policy and governance and not drag an unknown woman into a controversy," Jayanti said she was forced to address the media on the issue.

Former Environment Minister also added that she had refused to attack Narendra Modi on the issue but Ajay Maken asked her to come to Delhi and address a press conference on the ‘snoopgate'. Natarajan said Maken told her that the decision of press conference was taken by the party high command and she had no choice in the matter, says media reports.

"After the press conference throughout the controversy which followed I was told by Shri Maken to fiercely attack Shri Modi, on TV channels and during debates, although I was otherwise never fielded in the media after appointment as minister," she wrote in the letter.

In her letter, Natarajan said that she had received "specific requests" from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on environmental clearances and she consequently rejected big-ticket projects despite pressure from Cabinet colleagues seeking approval.

She demanded for the Congress to make it clear why was she removed as a minister even though the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh praised her for her excellent work.

OneIndia News