Click to play videoND Tiwari, the former Andhra Pradesh governor who resigned from his post because of a sex scandal says he won't retire from politics. Tiwari may be one of the few politicians who has actually been forced to resign from office because of a sex scandal, but unlike in America, in India, being involved in sex scandals or affairs generally makes no difference to political fortunes.
CNN-IBN spoke to the former governor of Andhra Pradesh.
CNN-IBN: You have resigned from Governorship’s post after this controversy, isn’t that effectively an admission of guilt?
N D Tiwari: No, no it is not an admission of guilt, in particular on that score which has been talked about. One of the news channels that are there gave out a story which was concocted from the very beginning. It is apparent if you look into those photographs and how they have been combined and all that.
CNN-IBN: Are you saying the person in those photographs is not you?
N D Tiwari: No, because it is a combination of many photographs, one of them is mine, but that does not mean that they combine many photos and publish it in a channel.
CNN-IBN: Do you know the women in the photographs?
N D Tiwari: At the Raj Bhavan so many delegations meet me and it is very surprising that these channels could do this sort of joining of 2-3 photographs.
CNN-IBN: At the end, the allegation is that call girls came inside the Raj Bhawan, do you concede that this entire episode has embarrassed you?
N D Tiwari: No call girl has come there. There is no question. There is so much security, there was also a mahila (lady) security guard. There is a conspiracy. They are using the electronic technology to combine photographs.
CNN-IBN: You are living in denial but the fact is that sir when you are living in Raj Bhawan, it is a post that carries a certain responsibility, to be caught in a sex scandal that should deeply embarrass you at the age of 86?
N D Tiwari: There is no scandal, I don't believe in any scandal. My wife is dead, it is difficult to talk to a lady now, this you find in the cinematic field.
CNN-IBN: It is not just this allegation, you’ve had similar allegations confronting you in the past also. You were dragged in a court in a paternity test not to long ago?
N D Tiwari: That issue went to the court and High Court stood double bench and it was completely rejected by High Court.
CNN-IBN: These allegations have embarrassed not just your party but also your party high command and your leader.
N D Tiwari: I don’t want Soniaji or anyone to be embarrassed, if anyone thinks I am guilty. I am a soldier of the country, freedom fighter ...very few freedom fighter are alive and I am very overwhelmed.
CNN-IBN: Are you going to seek audience with the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi to explain your position?
N D Tiwari: She knows already I think, I shouldn’t take her valuable time. Manmohan Singhji also knows very well, so I don’t want to embarrass them.
CNN-IBN: The allegations against you are very serious. It seems that the call girls who did the sting on you could enter the Raj Bhawan freely and allegedly because you denied their ring leader a mining lease? It is a clear violation of basic propriety.
N D Tiwari: I deny this type of fabrication but can I say never or ever anyone could come here.
CNN-IBN: How are you spending your time in Dehradun?
N D Tiwari: I am here in Dehradun already settled here and I have had such a tremendous response from the people, journalists…who are now thronging Dehradun.
CNN-IBN: How do you respond to this kind of journalism that is going in the bedrooms of our leaders our politicians...their private lives being made public.
N D Tiwari: (Laughs) Well, how can I support otherwise no one can have a private life.
CNN-IBN: Women activists are taking up this case...saying that this incident has shown you lured women for mining contracts.
N D Tiwari: I don't know who is the women activist who is still persisting in that but I have all respect for them…I have all respect for womenhood and their rights.
CNN-IBN: Are you going to retire from public life?
N D Tiwari: No no. Constructive public life will continue till the end of my life ..I am already 87 year old. I will always be with you.
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