Fight over Fernandes' legacy turns ugly
New Delhi: The battle for former defence minister George Fernandes does not seem to end. There was high drama outside Fernandes' residence at No. 3 Krishna Menon Marg house in New Delhi on Wednesday with his close aide Jaya Jaitley alleging that she was being denied entry into the house tocollect her belongings by Fernandes' wife Leila Kabir Fernandes.
Jaya was accompanied by Fernandes' brothers, Michael and Richard, who alleged that they were being prevented from meeting the former defence minister and collecting their belongings. Jaya claimed that all the furniture at his No. 3 Krishna Menon Marg house belonged to her and she should be allowed to take them away. "Even servants are being allowed to take away their belongings. They are not allowing George Fernandes' brothers and my staff to enter the house. How can we take out the furniture?" said Jaya. She also claimed that Leila was against her entry into the house. Jaya has now decided to barge into his house to collect the furniture.
However, Leila denied that she had stopped anyone from entering Fernandes' residence.
"There is no question of denying access to anyone. She (Jaya Jaitley) is free to go and collect her stuff from the house. Who denied access to them? In a letter written by myself to Jaya I mentioned that she is free to collect her stuff but I got no response from her. My primary concern is George's health. I wish the matter will be sorted out very soon," Leila told CNN-IBN.
Michael and Richard Fernandes also staged a dharna outside his house after the police and house caretaker SD Singh reportedly denied them entry into the house.
"On earlier occasions George was abducted from his house. We came here to take some old photographs which are a single copy. When we came the gates were closed. The police and those inside the compound have been instructed not to let us in by the present caretaker who quotes Leila. The police have asked us to go to court," said Michael.
"We have been coming here for 20 years but the caretaker now says we have to get permission from the court to enter the premises," added Richard.
Both brothers accompanied by Jaya Jaitley had come to Fernandes' residence to collect books, furniture and paintings which they claimed belonged to them.
Over a dozen policemen were deployed near the residence after the arguments and heated exchange with the caretaker,. Police, however, refused to comment on the issue.
The 80-year-old former defence minister is critically ill and has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He is now living with his wife at a private house in south Delhi.
His Rajya Sabha membership ends on July 7 and his wife is vacating his official bungalow where he lived for over 20 years, this week.
Richard and Michael have been fighting a legal battle with his wife for custody of the ailing former defence minister. They had on June 9 approached the Delhi High Court for early disposal of the case in view of Fernandes' deteriorating condition.
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