I am a hard nut to crack, says HRD Minister Smriti Irani

"I am a hard nut to crack," says HRD Minister Smriti Irani who also asserts that she is "too fat" to be cut to size.

The 39-year-old minister, who is in the eye of many a controversy including being accused of saffronising education, dismisses sugestions that she was getting "isolated" and that her Ministry reports to RSS. "If you notice all the ariticles, a few cut and copy paste job. If you look at the articles, issues are more personal which makes me believe that politically when it comes to education...I am a hard nut to crack," she told a private news channel. She was asked about views that she was not a political heavyweight and a women activist saying she would not trust her with jam and pickle ministry.

Irani said it was quite telling that from being a political non-entity, she was now someone that everybody was talking about. "That says a lot. May be because the status quo is being challenged. I am of the opinion that the education sector has become a matter of political friction. In the last 10 months there is a political consensus emerging. That rattles a lot of people," she said. Asked if she was feeling victimised, the minister said, "I have never cried martyr. I have never played the victim card and I wont do it today as well."

When told if she was being isolated from the party, she said "I don't think so". Asked about her exclusion from the BJP national executive, Irani said, "I am not a decision maker. I am a party worker. My responsibility to the position I hold is to ensure that within the constitutional framework I fulfill my obligations". "Are you being cut to size," she was asked. "I don't think so. I am too fat for that," she replied.

To a question whether there was a move to undercut her, Irani said she did not think so. "I do not think so. My Prime Minister won the elections on good governance. He gives me a responsibility as the HRD Minister. I am fulfilling the responsibilities to the best of my abilities. My performance in Parliament is for the entire nation to see and judge. Its my boss who judges me, for my party to judge. I am still doing OK."

Queried about allegations of saffronisation of education, she said the education sector will be within the constitutional framework of the country. "How wrong is that". She was asked about a belief that her ministry reports to RSS. She said "no, it does not."