Friday, December 2 2005 20:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After remarks attributed to him in a news magazine caused a political uproar, India's Ambassador to Croatia Aniel Matherani tonight (Dec 2, 2005) said his 'off-the-record' comments have been 'totally distorted.'

"I gave no interview to India Today. It was an off-the-record conversation and it is completely unethical to have clandestinely record an off-the-record conversation and publish it. This is a complete breach of privacy," he told sources over phone.

"The magazine has reported and presented my off-the-record conversation totally out of context. It has completely mis-represented my comments in the off-the-record conversation and totally distorted it," he added.

He 'vehemently' and 'unequivocally' denied ever saying that oil vouchers were allotted to the Congress Party or Natwar Singh when he led a delegation of the party to Iraq in January 2001. "This is a complete distortion of facts and total falsehood and fabrication."

"I have not said anything new about the programme and itinerary of the Congress party delegation in Iraq that is not already unknown," he said, adding, "Natwar Singh himself had said that his son Jagat went to Iraq with him."