| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| BJP expels Jaswant Singh |
| 2009-08-20 |
| NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday expelled Jaswant Singh, its veteran leader and an MP. A meeting of the Parliamentary Board in Shimla unanimously decided to remove the former Union Minister from the primary membership. The decision came even as a three-day ‘Chinthan Baithak’ or brainstorming session of the party started at the hill station. The decision is being read in the party as a stern message of zero tolerance to ideological deviation and indiscipline. These were among several messages clearly conveyed only on Tuesday to the BJP by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat in a television interview. It was stated that initially the party leadership was of the view that Mr. Jaswant Singh should be merely stripped of his membership of the Parliamentary Board. But tempers ran high among senior leaders. They viewed his praise of Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and his adverse comments on India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as ideological heresy. They called for the sternest action. BJP president Rajnath Singh conveyed the decision to mediapersons outside the Peterhoff state guest house and hotel, the venue of the brainstorming conclave. Mr. Rajnath Singh noted that he had issued a statement in Delhi on Tuesday dissociating the party from the contents of Mr. Jaswant Singh’s new book Jinnah: India-Partition Independence that was released on Monday. The Board, he said, “decided to end his primary membership. So he has been expelled. From now onwards he will not be a member of any body of the party or be an office-bearer.” Mr. Rajnath Singh said he had conveyed the decision to Mr. Jaswant Singh. There has been a series of expulsions of BJP leaders over the years, including of Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Babulal Marandi and Shankersinh Waghela. |
| Posted by:Steve White |