Highlights: Vasundhara Raje and Rajnath Singh have betrayed me, Jaswant Singh takes on BJP

Barmer: At the age of 76, Jaswant Singh is a officially a rebel. After the BJP told him he cannot run as its candidate from Barmer in Rajasthan, Mr Singh has decided to go solo. He filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate this afternoon.

Here are the highlights:

• Can't comment on Advaniji. I am not his authorised spokesperson
• I feel the BJP in itself is demonstrating weakness, it has nothing to do with RSS
• I had expressed my concern and anguish to Rajnath Singh who in recent history for the second time has extended such 'courtesy'
• He had called me and expelled me over the phone
• Then Advaniji and Gadkariji called me back - aur main sehme kadmo se wapis aa gaya
• Rajnath precedes every line with bhaisahaab which I find very ironic
• The present president of the BJP is free to decide what he decides
• It may be a great error - but it is certainly a great humiliation of the workers of the BJP in Barmer, Rajasthan and elsewhere in India
• The support I have seen in the public meeting - the outpouring of people's support - I have not seen in my 9 terms
• I can't understand why Rajnath Singh and the chief minister of Rajathan chose someone who had jumped the stile months after losing the elections to BJP
  

He had earlier addressed a rally in Barmer today. Following are the highlights:

• I suggested Vasundhara Raje for Chief Minister and Rajnath Singh for President. They have betrayed me
• Upset that these people have betrayed not just me but the principles of BJP
• The way I was expelled after the BJP's Shimla convention, even a 'chaprasi' isn't treated like that
• This is a fight not for me but for the principles on which the party was set up
• My first preference was Barmer. I have been an MP for 9 terms and had told the BJP these would be my last elections
• I had requested that my name be declared early since it is a large constituency but it was not done in a very planned manner
• The ticket was given to someone who had crossed over from Congress. This isn't my betrayal, BJP workers have been betrayed
• I was asked 'how do you feel' after I filed my nomination. I said I was relieved
• Fight is between old and new ideologies in party