PMO wanted her to delete Modi's reference in her letter

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Jan 31 2015 | 9:10 PM IST
Her offer to take early retirement was rejected as Prime Minister's Office wanted to delete a reference that she was doing so on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, whose tenure was abruptly "curtailed", said today.
Singh said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had informed her on January 28 afternoon that the PM wanted to appoint S Jaishankar as the Foreign Secretary.
She said she had sent a letter on that evening seeking early retirement "as instructed by the Prime Minister". But she got a call from the Prime Minister's Office "asking me if I would consider deleting it (the words)..."
The former FS said she made it clear that "I would not" delete reference to the Prime Minister. "It was on the instructions of the Prime Minister and as a good civil servant, we follow instructions," she told Karan Thapar on Headlines Today.
To a question, Singh claimed someone within the government was planting stories against her in the media and maintained that she does not believe in leaking privileged information to journalists.
The career diplomat made it clear that the "chapter was over" for her and she would concentrate on gardening and weaving, indicating that she was not looking for another opening.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 31 2015 | 9:10 PM IST

Next Story