London, Oct 25 Rachida Dati, the former French justice minister, has for the first time spoken of the agony she feels at the constant guessing game about the identity of her baby's father.

"It can be humiliating," she said, referring to speculation.

"It is also hurtful to people around me," she added.

Dati, who was severely criticized for returning to office as the justice minister of France only five days after giving birth to daughter Zohra in January, also defended her return to work, reports The Times.

"Being a minister is not like being a check-out girl or some other worker," she said in her first interview with a foreign journalist since having her baby.

"In any case, I think that the most elemental woman's right is the right to choose," she added.

The 43-year-old mockingly added: "I was pregnant, it started a controversy. People didn't know about my private life - controversy. I was carrying out reforms [as justice minister], more controversy. I wore high heels and was well dressed, controversy there too."

On the joys of parenthood, she described the birth of her child as "the best thing in my life".

"I have more of a time limit than if I were 20," she said.

"It is the best thing that can happen. It gives you another definition of life. I have less obsessions. And I'm much more attentive to health these days. Because I say to myself I have a baby.

"I have friends who never wanted to have children. I don't judge them. But I always said, even when I didn't have children, that I thought my life would be a failure if I didn't have any," she added.

Various media sources have linked the identity of Zohra's father to many international statesmen, politicians and celebrities from Jose Maria Aznar, the former prime minister of Spain, to Ali Bin Fetais al-Marri, the attorney-general of Qatar. However, they all have issued denials. (ANI)