I sympathise with Rohit, no grudges: ND Tiwari

Apparently embarrassed by the Delhi high court's paternity verdict against him, former Uttarakhand chief minister N D Tiwari on Friday refused to face the media saying it should not be made an issue but asserted that he has no grudge against Rohit Shekhar.

"Yeh mera niji mamla hai, ise tul na dein. (This is my personal matter. Don't make it an issue)," he said in a statement here hours after the Delhi HC said the DNA report confirmed Tiwari as the biological father of 32-year-old Delhi-based youth Rohit Shekhar.

Tiwari, however, refused to face the media with his OSD Bhavani Dutt Bhatt only distributing copies of his statement to journalists outside his residence.

The 87-year-old veteran Congress leader said he never wanted to create any controversy from the bottom his heart and soul. "Due to my simplicity, at this point of my age, my trusted people hatched a conspiracy against me in a planned way. I have no remorse against them. My sympathy is with Mr Rohit Shekhar. I also have no grudge against Mr  Rohit Shekhar," he said.

Tiwari said he has always reposed faith in the judiciary and will always honour court verdicts.He said he wanted to make it clear that it was a fight of ego and personal interest between the two parties. "It is being done to get free publicity," he said.

Describing himself as a follower of Mahatama Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and other freedom fighters, Tiwari said he had the right to live in his own way which he said he still enjoys. "It is not appropriate to interfere in privacy of anybody," he said.

Tiwari also told the media that he has the right to live in his own way. "Don't make an issue out of the episode. Please cooperate with me in my development mission. We have a lot of work to do and have to lay foundation for the betterment of the coming generation," he added.