Says all his allegations of corruption are “absolutely false”, were made in a “fit of rage” and “frustration of business”
Jammu: A day ahead of Delhi court taking up hearing in a defamation suit filed by Union Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh against BJP leader and former legislator Vikram Randhawa, the latter tendered an “unconditional apology’’ saying that the allegations (of corruption) levelled by him against the former earlier this month were “absolutely false’’ and he had nothing to prove them.
Pointing out that whatever he had said during press conference on May 3 was in a fit of rage and under pressure from his business colleagues, he said that his outbursts “hurt even those with whom I have family and political relations’’. “Being president of the Stone Crushers Association, I was under lot of pressure from members to do something as their business had come to a halt in view of alleged nexus between some officials of the mining department and the mining mafia,’’ he added.
Describing Dr Jitendra Singh as an “elder brother’’ to him, Randhawa while tendering unconditional apology to the union minister and his family said that his outbursts were in a “fit of rage’’ and “frustration of business’’ and these were not intended to hurt any of them.
“Neither me nor any party worker had ever doubted the honesty and integrity of Dr Jitendra Singh,’’ Randhawa said, describing him a “man of wisdom, a leader of party and the face of Jammu and Kashmir at the Centre’’. “I have deep respect for Dr Jitendra Singh and I also respect him for his honesty, dignity and dedication towards his task, party and Government of India,’’ he said.
After Randhawa had earlier this month levelled allegation of corruption against Dr Singh, the latter had asked him to either prove them or publicly tender an unconditional apology, otherwise he will file a defamation suit against him for Rs one crore, besides criminal defamation. Later, Singh had filed the defamation suit which was to be taken up by a Delhi court on Saturday.
