I personally feel Amar Singhs absence in party: Jaya Bachchan

A day after the Congress party made a noise over the presence of Amitabh Bachchan at a Maharashtra government function in Mumbai....

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A day after the Congress party made a noise over the presence of Amitabh Bachchan at a Maharashtra government function in Mumbai,the actors wife and Samajwadi Partys Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan said on Friday that she would not join the Congress even if invited by party president Sonia Gandhi.

No,she said emphatically when asked if she would consider joining the Congress if Sonia Gandhi invited her,given that her Rajya Sabha membership would expire in a few months. She was interacting with women mediapersons in the Capital.

Jaya Bachchans comments during the interaction also indicated her curious position within the SP,which expelled Amar Singh and Jaya Prada recently while taking no action against her despite the fact that she was brought into the party by Singh.

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Amar Singhji asked me (to join politics as an SP member),which I was very glad to accept, she said,adding,I personally feel Amar Singhs absence in the party.

However,when enquired whether she would join Amar Singh if he floated a new political party,she tried to evade a direct reply. Not yet. There is still some time left, she said.

The SP MP tried hard to steer clear of any controversy over party chief Mulayam Singhs opposition to the Womens Bill. I will give diplomatic answers, said Bachchan,who staged a walkout with her SP colleagues in the Rajya Sabha during the voting on Womens Bill.

She,however,did not hide her frustration over the tyranny of whips or party diktats on crucial issues.

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Yes,there have been times of difficult moments, Bachchan said when asked about whether she had faced difficult situations during her political career. Difficult moments arise on issues when my personal views differ from that of the partys. (In these situations) Toeing the party line amounts to lying to oneself while expressing personal opinion amounts to violating party discipline, she added.

When asked about Mulayams whistle remark over Womens Bill,she said,I feel the same way as you feel, adding,I think Mulayamji wanted a discussion on the subject,and that should happen.