New Delhi, August 23
Sticking to his contention in his new book that Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a “great man” who has been “demonised” in India, the expelled BJP leader today said he never knew the party was so “narrow minded” and would unceremoniously sack him for writing a book. The veteran politician and former Union Minister also called on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Jaswant Singh said the party did not distinguish between Jinnah’s personal attributes as a human being and his politics while taking a decision to sack him from the party for writing the book — ‘Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence.’
He said his contention that the founder of Pakistan was a “great man” and had been “demonised" in India was based on facts. “I never thought the party was so narrow-minded...so nervous about Jinnah and Patel, and would get so riled at what I have written. I have a feeling, which I have voiced earlier also, that perhaps my former colleagues have not really read the book,” he told Karan Thapar on ‘Devil’s Advocate’ programme of CNN-IBN.
Singh, who has handled external affairs, defence and finance portfolios in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, when specifically asked whether he denigrated Vallabhbhai Patel in his book, said: “I’ve simply pointed out facts. I haven’t denigrated any icon.”
He expressed his unhappiness over the way he had been unceremoniously asked to leave the party he had been associated with since its inception. The former BJP leader said he would have felt better if the party had not used the word “expel” and informed him in person.
“I wish they had not used the word expel,” the former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said. They had better choice of phrases. It hurt me when no one personally came and conveyed the decision. Even Advani has not called me,” Singh said.
He was also unhappy that BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate in the recently concluded General Elections, LK Advani had been shying away from speaking to him. When asked whether Advani had called him after the expulsion, Singh said: “No. But it doesn’t matter now and it’s too late.”
Singh also expressed his doubts on whether the decision to expel him had been taken after some of the BJP leaders read the book. Singh, who was a Cabinet minister under Vajpayee’s government, drove to the ailing BJP patriarch’s Krishna Menon Marg residence this afternoon.
