New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla, facing criticism for her anti-Sonia Gandhi statement, today (Feb 28, 2004) said she had never stated that she was moving out of Congress but had only objected to the present leaders of the party.

"I never said that I would leave Congress. Some vested interests from the party are pushing me out," she told reporters on the sidelines of a book release function.

In yet another veiled criticism of Gandhi, Heptulla said she was only objecting to the present "drivers of the party vehicle".

On Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal's criticism that she was leaving the party after enjoying benefits for the last 24 years, she said, "Maine Congress ka namak 24 saal se nahi, 54 saal se khaya hai (I have been linked to the Congress Party for last 54 years and not 24)."

"As the Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha for the last 16 years, I have friends in every political party," Heptulla said in reply to Congress' criticism of her praising Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.