Amid media speculation on the differences between actor Sanjay Dutt, who plans to contest elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket, and his sister, MP Priya Dutt, who has stressed on the family tradition of loyalty to Congress, many have asked whether Sanjay's actress wife Manyata is responsible for a rift in the family.

Sanjay and his sisters, she said, "I'm not someone who will run people down in public. That's not how my parents brought me up." Sanjay Dutt, "Nobody can influence my decision. She can only suggest things to me. I want people to just leave her alone."

She would contest the elections if Sanjay were not able to do so, Manyata said, "He has to take the decision. I take permission from him even if I have to go for coffee or dinner with friends. My priority is my family. He will decide if it is right or not right for me."

On his sister's absence at his rally in Lucknow, Sanjay said, "It did not bother me. But I know she'll be there for me, and I'll be there for her when she wants me. I definitely missed my family, most of all my father. But that's the reality of life, and one has to move on."

Sanjay Dutt has also reportedly said his late father would have been upset at his joining the Samajwadi Party. But Dutt added, "Amar Singh is like my elder brother, and he was the first one to ask me. I wasn't even sure if I could become an MP. But he convinced me, knowing my background the kind of work I have been doing for society. I was really honoured. So I decided to give it a shot."