Now Arjun seeks Muslim sub-quota in womens Bill

He,however,parried queries on the demand for a sub-quota for OBCs,saying: The party will take a decision. Whatever she Congress president Sonia Gandhi says will be done.

Singhs sympathy with the concerns of the minority community on the Bill is set to further complicate matters for the party leadership,which is already under pressure on this issue from the Trinamool Congress and the Yadav troika of Lalu Prasad,Mulayam Singh and Sharad Yadav.

Isolated in the party and left out of the UPA government in its second term,Singh had been maintaining a studied silence for some time while he worked on his autobiography,which is likely to be completed by the end of this year.

In the interview though,the former Human Resource Development Minister also spoke on the controversy over deemed status to universities. Singh supported his decision to grant deemed status to universities during his tenure successor Kapil Sibal has withdrawn the status for 44 such universities,many of whom got the deemed tag under Singh.

All decisions about granting deemed status had been taken as per procedure.

There was no arbitrary decision. The idea of deemed universities had been initiated by Dr S Radhakrishnan. There is nothing directly related to me, Singh said.

However,he refused to comment on the other decisions taken by Sibal. I am not in the habit of looking back on what I have left. It is the duty of the person who has taken over to go ahead, he said.

The veteran Congress leader denied being isolated in the party even as he conceded that his opinion was no longer sought for. I am available wherever I am. People can believe what they want to. My commitment to the party is there,but if nobody wants to ask me anything,I have no grudge. That does not disturb my commitment, said Singh,adding that he meets the Congress president on some occasions and has found no change in her attitude towards him.

He added that he had no complaints about being left out of the Cabinet. Everybody cannot be there in the Cabinet. These things dont surprise me. I will play all roles that the party requires me to play to the best of my ability.

I am not withdrawing from politics. But I am certainly not trying to superimpose myself, Singh said.

Since his exclusion from the Union Cabinet in the UPAs second term,Singhs participation in party activities has been limited to attending Congress Working Committee meetings,where too he no longer offers his opinion.

Showering praise on AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi,he said he was talking about all good things and they would have a great impact. Asked if Rahul should play a bigger role in the party,Singh said: That is a decision he has to take. I have always believed Rahulji has all the virtues and advantages. The party is looking up to him.