He, however, clarified that at no point did the home secretary try to stall the state governments investigations into the payment made by Tata Tea to the Ulfa. As the Union home secretary if he talks to the DGP of Assam what is wrong? All the reports that he tried to stall the investigation are rubbish, Gupta said.
This is one of the few occasions when the home minister has come to the rescue of home secretary. Throughout his term in the ministry, Gupta has never had a good rapport with Padmanabhaiah.
Gupta also clarified that Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta did not complain to him against the home secretary.
During his meeting with Ratan Tata on Monday, Gupta denied that Tata mentioned about winding up his company in Assam. Even if he says that, am I to take it seriously, he asked.