The Adams Parivar

UMA: I can give you two versions of this, one on the record and the other off the record. I never say anything against any person on the record. But I think there is no conspiracy. Both Mahajanji and Jaitleyji are my rakhi brothers. I have nothing against the individuals. That8217;s on the record. Off the record, with brothers like them and a father like Advani, we are like the Adams family8230;

ME: Do you think L K Advani has succumbed to their pressure by suspending you?

UMA: I do not say anything against L K Advani, who is like a father. Off the record, I think Advani should rely less on time servers and Rajya Sabha MPs who are sometimes with him and sometimes with Vajpayee.

ME: How could you have insulted L K Advani in front of the Press?

UMA: The problem is that I thought this was an off-the-record meeting convened by L K Advani. I did see some cameramen but thought that since this was off the record, they would not film anything. Only after I walked out and when cameramen were asked to leave, I realised that I as live on TV. Off the record, I think it was a brilliant reality show that raised the TRPs of all the channels.

ME: What is your next move?

UMA: I have already said L K Advani is like a father and I was a daughter thrown out of the house on Dhanteras. I had soup in Advani8217;s residence and dinner at Vajpayee. Off the record, let them stew in their own soup. Tell me, how can you journalists tolerate these off-the-record briefings by BJP general secretaries. Don8217;t you have some sort of norms?

Me: We do, but journalistic ethic prevents me from revealing them to you.

UMA: Tell me off the record at least.

ME: Well, off the record, the following are the revised norms applicable only to the BJP post-elections because of inner party bickering.

8226; Do not believe anyone saying anything about Uma Bharati off the record.

8226; Do not believe any comment against Uma Bharati even on the record.

8226; Disbelieve it completely if it is stated by Pramod Mahajan or Arun Jaitley.

8226; Do not approach any BJP Rajya Sabha MPs 8212; they are banned from giving off-the-record briefings to the media.8217;8217;

UMA: And yet the media filed these stories against me. Can these journalists be issued a showcause notice and suspended as journalists for six years?

ME: On the record, yes. But off the record, since the incident happened during Dhanteras, no editor wants to take action against anyone on such an auspicious day!