Vajpayee?s faux pas just stress, says niece

Prime Minister A.B Vajpayee?s niece Karuna Shukla is upset that the media is giving a twist to her uncle's occasional slips of tongue during his public meetings.

Prime Minister AB Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla is upset that the media is giving a twist to her uncle's occasional slips of tongue during his public meetings. "The media is very harsh towards these occasional slips of tongue, which occur due to pressure of work and not any other reason," she told reporters in Lucknow on Sunday.

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The electronic media, Karuna said, kept harping on trivial matters while ignoring the real thrust of Vajpayee's speeches. "A person of Vajpayee's stature should not be judged on such small issues," she said.

Karuna, BJP candidate for Janjgir in Chhattisgarh, also dismissed speculation about the PM's health.

She said despite his busy schedule, Vajpayee always found time for the family. "Though a bachelor, he has always been a family man," she told the Hindustan Times. "He has never lost an opportunity to participate in family get-togethers," she said.

"Though he is over-burdened after becoming PM, he still makes time to participate in family functions. A fortnight ago, he attended the wedding of his sister's granddaughter."