Ahmedabad: At the heart of the problem with Jaswant Singh's book is, of course, his portrayal of Sardar Vallabhai Patel but why should the BJP have a problem with a negative portrayal of a Congress leader, that too a leader who had famously banned the RSS?
''No party allows that its member writes against its core ideology and discuss it publicly," said Arun Jaitly, BJP General Secretary.
Jaswant Singh quickly reacted on BJP explanation of his expulsion.
"What core have I disturbed? Sardar Patel was the first to ban the RSS," said Jaswant Sinha, expelled BJP leader.
The contradictions of the BJP's fascination with Sardar Patel has now been exposed by the Jaswant controversy.
Patel was a staunch Congressman to the end. But his rightist views, his attempts to weld together a unified India and his disagreements with Nehru on the secular question made him an icon for the Hindu Right.
"A perception has been built that Sardar Patel was anti-Muslim, which was actually not the case, and this perception is being utilised by the Sangh Parivar to claim his legacy," said Dinesh Shukl, political analyst.
In Gujarat, Patel's home state, the debate has a resonance beyond history books.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi who has fashioned himself as a Chhote Sardar, was the first to ban Jaswant Singh's book.
A decision which some say may be linked to by-elections in Sauraushtra, Gujarat's Patel heartland.
"Leaders like Sardar Patel should never be made subject matter of any controversy. And even we don't want to politicize it. The issue cannot be politicized," said Jaynarayan Vyas, Spokesperson, Gujarat government.
Politics aside, the Jaswant episode has brought out the irony of the Hindu Right - defending one of the Congress tallest leaders.