Kolkata, Jan 24 (IANS) Clarifying that her book on her father and former prime minister Manmohan Singh was not a response to the memoir penned by his media advisor Sanjaya Baru, author Daman Singh Saturday said she doesn't consider Baru as an expert on Manmohan Singh and it "wasn't worth" her while to read his book.
"The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh" was a 2014 memoir by Indian policy analyst Sanjaya Baru, who was Manmohan Singh's media advisor from May 2004 till August 2008.
"I did not write my book as a response to Sanjaya's book at all. I have not read Sanjaya's book. Personally, I prefer to read a book written by an expert, an insider and honestly, I never considered Sanjaya to be an expert on my father.
"I mean, after all, he was just a media advisor. He essentially advised the media not the prime minister," Daman Singh said here during a discussion at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet.
Daman Singh is the author of "Strictly Personal: Manmohan and Gursharan" which traces the journey of the former prime minister and his wife from the 1930s to 2004.
She said she would have read the book if the writer was an insider and was privy to what goes in inside the Prime Minister's Office.
"So Sanjaya was not at all involved in any policy making, any decision making... so I honestly don't see how he could have got to know my father as an individual as a prime minister particularly well.
"So it wasn't really worth my while reading the book. If somebody who actually knew him had written the book, somebody who actually knew how the government works, how the Prime Minister's Office works... somebody like that had written the book, I would have loved to read it," she said.
Daman Singh also revealed Manmohan Singh doesn't disclose anything pertaining to office.
"My father doesn't tell us anything what goes in office so we are dying to know... we are always questioning him, poking him and prodding him to get something out of him... he never tells us anything.
"So if there was a book that actually explained, I would have loved to read it but I am afraid this is not that book," she said.
She also stressed it was her "deliberate intention" to launch her book after the Lok Sabha elections to distance herself from her father's position.
"I started writing my book in 2009, before my father became the prime minister for the second term. I assume Sanjaya started around then. I worked on my book for five years. I don't know how long he worked on it.
"He brought out his book just before the elections. It was my deliberate intention to bring out my book after the elections because I didn't want to use my father's position to promote my book.
"If he was prime minister and my book came out, then it is sort of labelled as a PM's daughter's book and I thought that would be sort of unethical thing to do. I wanted to release my book without that label," she added.
Coronavirus Update: Corona cases are continuously decreasing across the country, active cases have come down to around 5500
There is now a continuous decline in corona cases in the country. In the last few days, there has also been an increase in the number of people who beat Corona. According to the data released by the
Indian Air Force will show 'Vayu Shakti' during Russia-Ukraine war, will be exercised on March 7 in Pokhran
The war between Russia and Ukraine is still going on. During the war, the Indian Air Force is also ready to show its strength. The Air Force will conduct maneuvers on March 7 at the Pokhran firing
Weather Update: Many states are in the grip of severe cold and dense fog, further drop in temperature from January 5 may increase the problem.
North-west and eastern India are in the grip of severe cold and dense fog. It is extremely cold from Jammu and Kashmir to Bihar and Punjab, from Haryana to eastern Uttar Pradesh. The mercury dropped
Melinda Gates became a billion-dollar mistress after her divorce from Bill Gates, shares found in these companies
The wealth of Melinda Gates, the former wife of Bill Gates, the fourth richest person in the world, has increased by more than $ 2 billion since her divorce. Melinda Gates was a billionaire in
Nirmala Sitharaman: Rs 10 lakh crore was written off in five years, Finance Minister said in Lok Sabha
Scheduled commercial banks have written off Rs 10,09,511 crore in the last five financial years and are in the process of recovering dues from borrowers. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave
Parliament to discuss rail, general budgets next week
New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Financial business, including a discussion on the railway and general budgets for 2015-16, and consideration and passing of the bills to replace the ordinances will be
Kalki 2898 AD: 'Kalki 2898 AD' earned crores of rupees even before its release, distribution deal was done for a huge amount
With each passing day, superstar Prabhas' film 'Kalki 2898 AD' is getting closer to the threshold of release. The process of new updates related to the film is also continuing. There are speculations
KIIT Suicide: Scholarship in memory of student; Now 24-hour help to students; Nepali Foreign Minister talks to minister
After the alleged suicide of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal at Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), the Higher Education Department has set up a 24x7 helpdesk to ensure the
Corona threat in the world: Chinese people forget the danger of infection on New Year, crowds gathered everywhere to celebrate
Today the whole world is celebrating the new year. On this occasion, even in Corona-afflicted China, people celebrated the New Year fiercely. Crowds of millions gathered at midnight in Beijing and
Shama Mohamed, who called Rohit Sharma 'fat', celebrated India's victory, praised the captain, and called herself innocent.
Congress leader Shama Mohammed, who called Indian team captain Rohit Sharma fat, posted on 'X' and praised the 'Men in Blue' after the victory over Australia. Shama Mohammed congratulated the Indian
