ANINEWS: New Delhi: Sunday,
April 13, 2014.
Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's former Media Advisor Sanjay Baru on Saturday defended
his 'memoir' saying that the people have a right to know what happens in the
highest levels of government in the process of decision making.
Sanjay Baru,
who was the media advisor to Dr.Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2008, has in the
publication authored by him 'Manmohan Singh: The Accidental Prime Minister'
pointed out that that Dr. Manmohan Singh had accepted the suggestions made by
Sonia Gandhi, the head of the Congress party.
"I think
the people of this country have a right to know what happens within the highest
levels of government in decision making. I think this was the thinking
underlining the philosophy of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, that the
people have a right to information," Baru said.
He said that
his book is written on the premise that the people have a right to know about
all the successes and failures of Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.
"I think
nobody can question the motive. It was very clear that to record for posterity
what I saw when I was in the government. I wish more people in India and in
government write such books. It is a healthy tradition abroad of writing
memoirs based on one's role played in government," Baru added.
Baru has
claimed in his memoir that Singh had reportedly told him that there cannot be
two power centres in a government.
Meanwhile, in
a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, Dr. Singh's current Media
Advisor Pankaj Pachauri said about the book: "It is an attempt to misuse a
privileged position and access to high office to gain credibility and to
apparently exploit it for commercial gain. The commentary smacks of fiction and
coloured views of a former adviser."
.JPG)
.JPG)
