New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) Jaya Jaitley, a close aide of former defence minister George Fernandes, Wednesday alleged that she and her friends were denied entry to his official residence where they had gone to pick up some office material.
Jaitley, who reached the 3, Krishna Marg house of Fernandes around 12.30 p.m., was later joined by two brothers of Fernandes – Michael and Richard – who too alleged they were denied entry into the house.
The two brothers later staged a protest outside Fernandes’ house.
Jaitley said she had a letter from Fernandes’ wife Leila Kabir to collect her office material from the house.
‘I have a letter from Laila to collect belongings such as books, handicrafts and my mother’s old furniture. But they say I cannot enter with my staff,’ Jaitley told IANS.
‘I want to take my stuff honourably. I don’t know why are they doing this. People who have occupied the house cannot tolerate those who loved him (Fernandes). When he was there, gates were always open. Anyone could visit,’ she said.
The ailing socialist leader is now living with his wife Leila in her rented apartment in Panchsheel Park in the city.
Asked about Leila’s charge that she pushed Fernandes into contesting the last Lok Sabha elections, which he lost, Jaitley said she (Leila) could have stopped him from contesting.
‘For 27 years, she never was there near during his operations. She never asked who was Mr. Fernandes’ doctor,’ she said.
‘How dare anybody tell me whether I can enter alone or with my friends,’ she said.
Michael Fernandes told IANS that he had visited the house countless times over the past years but had been denied entry by the caretakers.
‘There are some 70-year old family pictures in the house which we want to take with us,’ he said, adding that they had been denied entry at ‘the behest of Leila Kabir’.
He said they were told that the residence was now a party office but he had spoken to Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav who denied knowing any of the caretakers.
Police officials present at the house said that Jaitley had permission to go to the house alone to collect her belongings.
