New Delhi, April 16: Priyanka Gandhi's office today issued a clarification on a report claiming she had pressured the Vajpayee regime to reduce her rent, saying that all payments were made according to common rules and no exception was made for her.

A newspaper report had claimed that she convinced the then NDA government to reduce her monthly rent from Rs 53,421 to Rs 8,888, after which TV channels started playing up her husband Robert Vadra's affluent lifestyle and questioning the "morality" of her seeking lower rents.

Priyanka, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's daughter, has been allotted 35 Lodhi Estate, a Type VI government bungalow for which she pays a monthly rent of Rs 31,300.

Priyanka's office said she had rented a private accommodation after marriage. But the SPG in charge of her security did not approve that accommodation.

The statement said: "The then director of SPG subsequently informed her of the decision of the security agencies of the government denying her occupation of the rented private accommodation on the ground that it did not fulfil the security requirements.... Consequently, she was directed to occupy government accommodation on security grounds."

The statement added: "In pursuance of all rules and regulations of the then BJP government, the market rate/special license fee of Directorate of Estates, Government of India, has been punctually and regularly paid by her for the entire duration of her occupation of the government accommodation, including the period in question.

"The said rent that she paid was determined by the government and was the same as others in her category."

It further said: "Multiple protectees occupying government accommodation on security grounds brought to the notice of the then Union BJP government that a 90 per cent increase, from one month to the next, in the year 2002 from market rate/special licence fee to the 'damages rate' was contrary to prevailing rules and regulations.

"None of the said persons were unauthorised occupants. They were in fact authorised occupants and the 'damages rate' did not apply to them."

Damages rate applies to anyone overstaying illegally.

In 2002, Priyanka had written to the government saying the rent of Rs 53,421 for her 2,765sqm house was too high an amount and beyond her paying capacity. But her office clarified that all protectees in her category wrote to the government as "damages rate" was not applicable to them.

The statement said: "This error was subsequently corrected by the cabinet committee on accommodation of the then BJP government pursuant to a letter and a meeting between Ashwini Meena and the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee." Meena, also allotted government accommodation for security reasons, is now a BJP MP.