BJP expels Jaswant Singh for praising Jinnah

Rakesh Chaturvedi and Ajay Kaul
Shimla, Aug 19 (PTI) Jaswant Singh Wednesday fell a
victim for praising Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah when
the India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
summarily expelled him from the party, a decision that left
him "hurt" and "saddened" but he will not not appeal against
or seek a review of.

Two days after release of his book "Jinnah-India,
Partition, Independence" in Delhi, which was boycotted by BJP
leaders, the 71-year-old former Union Minister, who had held
key portfolios at the Centre, was expelled from the party
severing his 30-year association with it.

The MP from Darjeeling, who was in his hotel, which
was not not far away from the venue of BJP's brainstorming
session of the top brass, was first told not not to attend the
'chintan baithak' and was conveyed over telephone the
expulsion decision by party President Rajnath Singh.

The decision was taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board
in the opening session of the 3-day session that overshadowed
the 'chintan baithak' that was to discuss the state of affairs
in the organisation in the wake of the Lok Sabha debacle and
internal bickerings that have marred its image of late.

This is the second occasion on which the party has
taken a tough stand against those praising Jinnah against the
sangh parivar line. L K Advani was forced to quit as BJP
President after his infamous trip in 2005 to Pakistan where he
praised Jinnah.

Jaswant Singh, who has never been a member of the RSS,
was a union minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and had held
the portfolios of External Affairs, Finance and Defence.

Recently he had circulated a note strongly critical of
leaders seen as "responsible" for the Lok Sabha defeat being
rewarded with positions in the Parliamentary Party. But the
party assuaged him by nominating him for the post of Chairman
of the prestigeous Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.

"I had issued a statement yesterday that the party
fully dissociates itself from the contents of the book. Today
I put up the matter before the Parliamentary Board which
decided to end his primary membership," the BJP president told
the media taking a break from the opening session.

"He has been expelled. From now onwards he will not be
a member of any body of the party or be an office bearer," he
said adding he had told Jaswant Singh Tuesday not to come to
Shimla for participating in the chintan baithak.

Reacting to the party decision, a visibly emotional
Jaswant Singh said he had been "thrown out of a house in which
he lived for 30 years" for committing no no "sin" against
the party or the country.

"30 years of my political life with BJP to end on this
note has saddened me and on grounds of writing a book," he
said.

However, he maintained, "I am convinced that I have
committed no no sin. None whatsover against India or the
party," he said adding he had no no regrets about writing the
book that led to his expulsion.

"Accepting" the decision that has "hurt" and "saddened"
him, Jaswant Singh told reporters he would not go for appeal
against it nor would he like any "review" of it. He regretted
that formalities like show cause notice" were not followed.



"I won't say I accept it with happiness, I accept it
with sorrow...I am sorry and saddened... My 30 years of
association has ended in this way. It, obviously, hurts,"
Jaswant Singh said.

He was particularly upset over the fact that Rajnath
Singh had conveyed the decision about his expulsion over
phone.

"It is the party's decision... They have the right to
decide... It would have been better if I was shown the
courtesy of Advaniji or Rajnath by calling me personally
to convey the decision. I would not have refused. I have never
refused."

He said he had told Rajnath Singh that he should have
shown the "courtesy" of being conveyed the decision in person.
He also contested the BJP chief's contention that he had been
told not to come to Shimla for Chintan Baithak.

Replying to a volley of questions at the hotel where he
was staying, not not far from the one hosting the
brainstorming session, he said "I have no feeling of he had no
no feeling of self-pity...I live on respect. If that is lost
once, it cannot be regained." (More) PTI RC
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