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Furore in Rajya Sabha over Ramdev aide’s meeting with terror face Saeed New Delhi, July 14 As soon as the Rajya Sabha began its proceedings, several Congress members were on their feet, demanding to know whether the government had authorised Vaidik to hold the meeting with Saeed, the JuD chief. Some members even waved newspaper clippings about the controversial meeting. Chairman Hamid Ansari told the agitated Congress members that they must give advance notice if they wanted to raise the issue in the House. However, the Congress members were in an unrelenting mood, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for 15 minutes. When the House reassembled, Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma again raised the issue, saying Saeed was the most wanted terrorist not only in India but across the world. Sharma pointed out that Vaidik was not just a journalist but a key member of many important bodies run by the government. The Congress leader was of the view that such a meeting could not have taken place without the knowledge of the External Affairs Ministry and the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. He wondered whether Vaidik was acting as an emissary of the government. He said the issue related to national security. Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley responded by saying that Saeed 'unquestionably' was a terrorist who had actively indulged in conspiracies against
India. "The Government of India has nothing to do directly, indirectly or even remotely with any journalist meeting Saeed. The government has not sanctioned permission to anyone for meeting him," he said. However, the Congress members were not satisfied with the minister’s response and continued to create ruckus. This led the Chairman to adjourn the House again till 12 noon. The matter was raised briefly by the Congress in the Lok Sabha too with K C Venugopal questioning Vaidik’s meeting with Saeed. He also asked as to who facilitated the meeting. The government must respond to the issue, he said. His party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia backed his demand. Meanwhile, under attack from the Congress, Vaidik defended his meeting with Saeed in Lahore on July 2, saying he had not acted at the government's or anybody else's behest. "I am not anybody's envoy...I am my own envoy". He said that in the past too, he had met rebels in different countries to counsel them to adopt the right path. Govt clarifies
— Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister
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The Government of India has nothing to do directly, indirectly or even remotely with any journalist meeting Saeed. The government has not sanctioned permission to anyone for meeting
him.