Shimla: On the second day of the BJP's Baithak in Shimla, Arun Jaitely addressed the media to explain why Jaswant Singh was sacked.
The decision was made by the BJP's parliamentary board committee, asserted Jaitley. The reason: Jaswant Singh's book violates the core values of the BJP on two major fronts. Firstly, Singh writes that Jinnah was demonized by India, a view unacceptable to the BJP. Singh's criticism of Sardar Patel also directly violates the party's beliefs.
Defending the ban on Jaswant Sigh's book in Gujarat, Jaitley claims Gujarat's ban on Jaswant Singh's book is legal. Reacting to allegations by Jaswant Singh that it is dangerous for the BJP to ban books or opinion, Jaitley offered only this mystifying explanation: "It's not the book that's the problem. It's the content".
As a frontline leader of the party, Jaswant Singh cannot go public with opinions that conflict so directly with the BJP's ideology, said Jaitley.
Defending the fact that his party sacked Jaswant Singh without giving him a chance to respond to the accusations against him, Jaitley said the BJP is entitled to sack any member without notice.
When reminded that a few years ago LK Advani too had praised Jinnah while on a visit to Pakistan, Jaitley said, "Advani's statement on Jinnah was in an entirely different context. It's not fair to compare the two incomparables."
To a question on the BJP's future plans, Jaitley, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said the party was analysing its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and chalking out its future course of action. However, he refused to divulge the details of the issues being discussed at the party's brainstorming session.