BJP is unwell: Jaswant Singh

In an interview with Swati Chaturvedi of Zeenews.com, Jaswant Singh talks about his expulsion from the BJP and other issues.

Expelled from the party for his views on Jinnah in his new book, former BJP leader Jaswant Singh is saddened by the fact that the party showed him the door even without bothering to read his book.

In an interview with Swati Chaturvedi of Zeenews.com on Kahiye Janab, a philosophical and visibly emotional Jaswant Singh talks about his expulsion, the party’s current state and various other issues. Swati Chaturvedi: Welcome to the show Jaswant Singh. The BJP has closed the doors for you. But the court has given hope that books should not be banned in this country. Judges said that they want to read the book, which I don’t think your party did? Jaswant: It is regrettable. I feel sad at being expelled from the party, the political house where I spent 30 years. The state of the house also makes me feel miserable. When I see the party in such a state and the deteriorating level of talks as is being heard these days – that after reaching the pinnacle under the leadership of Atalji and Advaniji – it hurts. Swati Chaturvedi: A few days back a former BJP president said (about you), “We have expelled him from the party, now see his condition.” Did you ever expect that someone make such a remark? Jaswant: No, I did not expect that something will be said in such a manner. There can be deep difference of views. But it doesn’t mean that the manner of talks should stoop to such a level. The manner of talking should be in conformity with our culture and society. Swati Chaturvedi: Did you expect that you will be asked to quit from the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC)? Sushma Swaraj and SS Ahluwalia came to your house to ask for the same. Jaswant Singh: It will be better if we don’t talk about it. Sushma Swaraj and SS Ahluwalia have the right to come to my house and I cannot deny it. I feel sad that I had to tell them that I won’t be able to accept their request. I don’t want to get into the details of our discussions but at the end I had to turn down their request. Swati Chaturvedi: What is happening in politics these days? Arun Shourie recently termed Rajnath Singh as Humpty Dumpy, Tarzan and Lachaar Thakur – in interview as well as in writing. The BJP is still to act against him. What in your view is the reason behind this inaction? Was it because he urged the RSS to come and save the party or was it because there was an attempt to somehow make you an example? Jaswant: Arun is my friend. Rajnath is the president of the party, which I was member of. I have worked with them. What they thought and what they didn’t – only they know as to why they did it. Swati Chaturvedi: Do you agree with Arun Shourie’s description of Rajnath Singh? Jaswant: Arun Shourie has a style of his own. His style – as well as writing – has dynamism. He has been a good friend for many years. One of his qualities is that whenever something pains him he puts across his view unambiguously. He is a thinker. So it is good because a party should have such people. You asked what has happened in politics? It seems that political parties are no longer political parties. In the Army you share a relationship with others which I don’t find in political parties. BJP was formed in 1980 and Atalji was its first president. He gave a post to me also, though I was very junior… Swati Chaturvedi: Your critics say that you were given a post due to reasons. Firstly because you speak good English and secondly, because you shared drinks with Atalji in the evening. Jaswant: This should not be said. Whoever has said this, I would like to say to him that they may do injustices to me but please don’t do this to Atalji. This is very far from the truth. I speak good English. But then no one has stopped anyone for mastering any language. Swati Chaturvedi: In a way you told a lie when you completely owned all the responsibility for Kandhar. Why did you do this and why didn’t you speak then? Jaswant: It was election time and opposition leaders of the Congress party were repeating the same issue again and again like a gramophone. I won’t say that I told a lie but this is true that to cover Advaniji I definitely said that I agree with whatever he is saying. Swati Chaturvedi: Do you think that Atalji must be shedding tears for the BJP’s current state of affairs? Jaswant: Atalji is unwell but his thoughts are clear. But his illness has affected his biggest asset – speech. Swati Chaturvedi: May be he doesn’t want to speak? Jaswant: Many a times when a person has a lot to speak, he doesn’t speak at all. The party is unwell and so is Atalji. Swati Chaturvedi: Before the 2009 elections Vasundhara Raje said (referring to Bhairon Singh Shekhawat) that people no longer want to see old ruins. Now the very same Raje is not ready to resign and the party is not doing anything against her. Just like you a campaign was launched against Shekhawat also and he was silenced. What sort of democracy is this in the BJP? Aren’t there double standards – one for you and one for Raje? Jaswant: It would be better if you ask this question to BJP. I don’t want to talk about this. Swati Chaturvedi: Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and you were considered a Troika. You all were upset over the way important posts were given to Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj. Now that you are out, what advice would you give to Shourie and Sinha who are your friends also? Jaswant I was not upset over allocation of posts to Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj. Infact I suggested the name of the latter. I have many friends – political as well as personal. Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha are experience and good members. They are a repository of experience for the party. Swati Chaturvedi: You said in an interview that RSS is a cult and the way BJP is being controlled it has become a sect or cult. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that he has not read your book. Is it good for the Indian polity the way RSS is interfering (in BJP)? Jaswant: Mohan Bhagwat accepted, which my party didn’t, that he didn’t read the book. The decision (to expel me) was taken without even reading the book. I told Rajnath Singh that he should have read the book but he replied that many people have read. In the country’s interest, it is necessary to prevent the party from becoming a math. Every party should have an ideological base and the BJP considers it to be the RSS. I could never conform to this, be it Babri or the like. But it was the magnanimity of Atalji and Advaniji that they kept me in the party despite that. Swati Chaturvedi: After LK Advani’s comment on Jinnah, the party took action against him but he was soon rehabilitated into the BJP. But you were shown the door without being given a chance to explain your stand even despite the fact that you supported Advani then. Why? Jaswant: I have said many a times that if someone does any good to you, always remember it and if you do any good to anyone, forget. So I don’t remember what I did for anyone. Further, there could be no comparison between Advaniji and me. He was one of the founders of the BJP. Swati Chaturvedi: When was the last time you talked to LK Advani and what did you talk? Jaswant: It was around August 15-16 at party meeting to discuss Rajasthan. I requested Advaniji if he could come for the book launch to which he replied that he cannot come as he has to attend some other programme on that day. Swati Chaturvedi: Even if you are a nobody in the BJP today, you are its well wisher having spent 30 years in the party. Do you think that whatever is happening in the party is right and who in your view should be the leader of the BJP in the future? Jaswant: I cannot answer either of these questions. However, I can certainly say that it is natural to be pained by whatever is happening in the party. It hurts to see the house in such a state. But I cannot do anything. Adaptation: Abhishek Singh Samant