Congress MP from Northwest Mumbai Priya Dutt on Wednesday denied media reports that the announcement by the Samajwadi Party to field Sanjay Dutt from Lucknow Lok Sabha seat had led to a family feud even as SP general secretary targeted her for her reported remarks. Singh said Dutt junior had campaigned for the party even when his father the late Sunil Dutt was alive.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Priya said her brother was free to contest the Lok Sabha elections from whichever party he wanted to and that his decision would never lead to any feud between them.

There was, however, a faint hint of disappointment on Priya’s part when she said she had not spoken to Sanjay about his seat selection. “Even when marriage happened, I came to know through the press. This time also, I am informed by the press. I am not the one to bring family feud into public domain.”

She said her family had always been with the Congress but added that “if Sanjay chooses to contest from anywhere, it will be his choice. He is free to make independent choices. There will not be any rift between siblings because of that. The seat from which I have been elected was given by the party to me; it is not our family heirloom. If the party chooses to give the seat to someone else, I will continue my father’s work. It is important for me to maintain my parents’ name”.

She also said it would be Manyata’s choice if she wanted to contest elections and that there was no malice between the two.

In New Delhi, while targeting her, Amar Singh told reporters: “When the late Sunil Dutt was alive, Sanjay had campaigned for Jaya Prada when she had contested from Rampur (in Uttar Pradesh). He (Sunil Dutt) should have then asked Sanjay not to campaign.”

The SP general secretary claimed that when the Congress had asked Sunil Dutt to campaign against Jaya Prada, he had refused. “He had said he would not campaign against people in the industry be it Jaya Prada, Shatrughan Sinha or Hema Malini.”

He also criticised noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani for equating Sanjay with Ansal brothers convicted in the Uphaar tragedy. “Ansals were involved in a mass murder,” he said.