Amit Shah backs Rajnath Singh

BJP president Amit Shah Wednesday backed Home Minister Rajnath Singh and said all rumours against him and his son Pankaj are baseless.

In a statement issued in Hindi, Shah said there have been baseless and imaginary rumours surrounding Rajnath Singh and his son.

"As the party president, I believe the conduct of all our ministers is of highest standard, and such propaganda is baseless.

"As far as Rajnath Singh is concerned, he is one of our senior-most ministers... I strongly condemn the rumours and feel personally hurt by them," Shah said.

Shah's statement came shortly after Rajnath Singh and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Wednesday denied that the minister's son wasn't fielded in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections due to alleged misconduct.

Shah said that the "political life of Rajnath Singh is a symbol of complacency, gentleness and purity. The allegations against him are baseless, without fact, and made with an intention to malign the image of the party".

"However, it will not succeed from diverting attention from the development agenda of the Modi government," he added.

Shah described Pankaj Singh as a dedicated party worker and said that Pankaj, who is presently a state general secretary, has fulfilled various responsibilities in the Uttar Pradesh unit of the party in the last 10 years.