After a protracted legal battle, veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari on Monday accepted Rohit Shekhar as his “biological son” in a press conference, but for the latter it is not the end of the matter as he said he would continue the fight in court.
“He (Tiwari) may have accepted me as his son, but it is a deep wound which will take time to heal. My mother and I have gone through hell. Though I am happy for her, I will continue my legal battle and push for a stringent judicial precedent for such cases in future,” said a sceptical Rohit Shekhar.
At a dramatic press conference in which Rohit Shekhar, who a DNA test had established long back was Tiwari’s son, wept and questioned his sincerity, as Tiwari said: “There should be no doubt now that Rohit is my son. I don’t think any controversy is left now.”
On being repeatedly asked, the 88-year-old Congress politician, who quit as Andhra Pradesh Governor after a purported video of his sexual escapade was leaked, said he would admit to this in the High Court as well. Asked if his son could stay with him with his mother, he said they are “welcome” but added that living together does not mean that they should be glued to him all the time.
Rohit said all he wanted from Tiwari was to give respect to his mother who fought a long and tiring battle for his honour. “I just want him to be truthful, sincere and give my mother the respect she deserves,” he said. But he also appeared sceptical of Tiwari’s sincerity. “I will pursue the case till judgement is delivered,” he said.
Notably, the paternity suit filed by Shekhar is pending before the Delhi High Court for final hearing. On February 21, Tiwari had moved the court for exploring the possibilities of an amicable out-of-court settlement of the case.
Dr Ujjwala Sharma, who was also present at the press conference, said that she along with her son, Rohit Shekhar, met ND Tiwari at Uttarakhand Sadan in New Delhi on Sunday. “I had come to know from his associates that he had come to Delhi for a routine check up at AIIMS. I went to meet him,” said Sharma.
Ujjwala, however, said she was satisfied with Tiwari’s admission and their fight was never about property rights but about proving that he was her son’s father. “I know him (Tiwari) well. He has admitted in a Press conference that Rohit is his son. That means everything,” she said.
Rohit Shekhar had approached the court against Tiwari in 2008, claiming he was born out of an affair between the Congress leader and his mother. In 2012, Tiwari was forced to give samples of his DNA for a paternity test which established Tiwari as Shekhar’s biological father.