I have no animosity with Sanjay: Priya Dutt

Scoffing at reports that all is not well between her and actor-brother Sanjay Dutt, Congress MP Priya Dutt on Wednesday said their relationship was above petty politics.

"Fighting over contesting a Lok Sabha election is the last thing we can even think of. There is no animosity between us. In fact, being the youngest in the family, my decision to contest the bye-election after our father's death was taken in consolation with Sanjay who is the eldest after our father," Priya told PTI.

Priya said she has always maintained that she does not have the "ownership" of the Lok Sabha constituency represented by her father for five consecutive times.

"After his death, the ticket to contest the bye-election was given to me by the party as a responsibility. I have tried to live up to the responsibility with all efforts. If the party re-nominates me, Sanjay will be very happy and support my candidature. So also me if Sanjay is given the ticket," she said.

Without naming any Congress functionary from her parliamentary constituency, Priya admitted there was a sustained effort to create differences between her and her brother.

Priya said her Mumbai northwest parliamentary constituency has now been split into Mumbai north Central and Mumbai north West, post delimitation.

She lamented that factors like religion; caste had seeped deep into electoral politics aimed at dividing the voters. "This kind of polarisation is bad for the society and the nation," she added.