Ramesh admits meeting with Panday, says it's no big deal

Ramesh L. Maharaj admitted Wednesday that he met earlier this week with United National Congress (UNC) Leader Basdeo Panday. And he says people are reading too much into it.

Maharaj was responding to allegations by Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner that the two leadership candidates met at the office of Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath, who is chairman of the membership committee for the UNC internal election, and former works minister Sadiq Baksh.

Warner demanded that the men explain why they were holding a "secret meeting".

Initially UNC officials denied knowledge of any meeting. But in an interview on national television Wednesday night, Maharaj admitted that he met Panday. However he said there was nothing clandestine about it.

He said he had gone to the Couva South office to collect a membership list and Panday was there so they talked with one another. "What is wrong with that? Is it a sin to talk with my leader?" he asked.

He said he talks with other politicians and noted that he and Warner chatted with Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Wednesday. He also said he has also talked with his leadership rival Kamla Persad-Bissessar and wondered why nobody has raised that as an issue.

CNC3 TV reported that Panday also confirmed meeting with Maharaj, noting that the two men "exchanged pleasantries" and said there is nothing to be worried about.

The report said Panday remarked that what they discussed "is nobody's business".