New Delhi:
It's official. Ten months after he was expelled by the BJP for complimenting Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his book, Jaswant Singh has been welcomed back to the mother ship. (Read: BJP expels Jaswant for writing a book)
Speaking exclusively to NDTV's Barkha Dutt about his return to the BJP fold, Singh stressed that "I cannot disown the book on Jinnah... historical facts about Jinnah can't be wished away just because we disagree." He also said he stands by his controversial remarks in an interview to NDTV last year about Hindutva and the BJP.
For now, though, the emphasis, as far as the BJP was concerned, is that the troubled past has been put to rest.
"It's a day of great happiness for all of us," said party president, Nitin Gadkari, flanked by Jaswant Singh and senior leader LK Advani. "I look forward to his attendance at every party meeting," Gadkari added. "With happiness, there is a sense of relief," said Advani. (Read full transcript) | (Watch)
Recalling his expulsion from the party at its 'Chintan Baithak' in Shimla in August last year, Singh said, "My hurt and humiliation has been addressed by Advani... I express my great gratitude to Advani who took the initiative some months back. He telephoned me and asked if I would speak to him... I was humbled by that... then he asked if I would meet with him... he said we would treat this chapter as closed."
Another closed chapter, according to Singh: The Kandahar controversy.
The relationship between Singh and Advani entered its darkest chapter in August last year. Two days after his expulsion, in an interview to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Singh virtually accused Advani of lying about his role in the Kandahar crisis in 1999.
In that interview, Singh reconstructed the events that led to India swapping three Pakistani terrorists for 160 hostages on an Indian Airlines flight in 1999. IC-814 was hijacked on its way from Kathmandu to Delhi. At that time, Advani was India's Home Minister and Singh was the External Affairs Minister. Advani had always maintained that he was not aware that Singh had been authorised to fly to Kandahar to release the terrorists. Challenging that view, Singh said to NDTV, "How can they (terrorists) be released from prison without the Home Minister consenting and signing pieces of paper." When asked why he had not contradicted Advani earlier, Singh said, in that same interview, "I covered for him as a colleague".
Singh was backed in the next few days by Brajesh Mishra and Yashwant Singh. All three men were present, along with Advani, at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in December 1999. Mishra, who was then the National Security Advisor, said the decision to send Jaswant Singh to Kandahar was unanimous.
Singh stressed on Thursday that his opinion of the BJP and its complex relationship with Hindutva has not changed. A year ago, he had said that the term had entered the BJP lexicon recently. "The BJP didn't have this word or use it earlier... it's a later admission. It would be useful for everybody to know what exactly Hindutva stands for," he tells NDTV as he begins a new term with his party.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV's Barkha Dutt about his return to the BJP fold, Singh stressed that "I cannot disown the book on Jinnah... historical facts about Jinnah can't be wished away just because we disagree." He also said he stands by his controversial remarks in an interview to NDTV last year about Hindutva and the BJP.
For now, though, the emphasis, as far as the BJP was concerned, is that the troubled past has been put to rest.
"It's a day of great happiness for all of us," said party president, Nitin Gadkari, flanked by Jaswant Singh and senior leader LK Advani. "I look forward to his attendance at every party meeting," Gadkari added. "With happiness, there is a sense of relief," said Advani. (Read full transcript) | (Watch)
Recalling his expulsion from the party at its 'Chintan Baithak' in Shimla in August last year, Singh said, "My hurt and humiliation has been addressed by Advani... I express my great gratitude to Advani who took the initiative some months back. He telephoned me and asked if I would speak to him... I was humbled by that... then he asked if I would meet with him... he said we would treat this chapter as closed."
Another closed chapter, according to Singh: The Kandahar controversy.
The relationship between Singh and Advani entered its darkest chapter in August last year. Two days after his expulsion, in an interview to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Singh virtually accused Advani of lying about his role in the Kandahar crisis in 1999.
In that interview, Singh reconstructed the events that led to India swapping three Pakistani terrorists for 160 hostages on an Indian Airlines flight in 1999. IC-814 was hijacked on its way from Kathmandu to Delhi. At that time, Advani was India's Home Minister and Singh was the External Affairs Minister. Advani had always maintained that he was not aware that Singh had been authorised to fly to Kandahar to release the terrorists. Challenging that view, Singh said to NDTV, "How can they (terrorists) be released from prison without the Home Minister consenting and signing pieces of paper." When asked why he had not contradicted Advani earlier, Singh said, in that same interview, "I covered for him as a colleague".
Singh was backed in the next few days by Brajesh Mishra and Yashwant Singh. All three men were present, along with Advani, at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in December 1999. Mishra, who was then the National Security Advisor, said the decision to send Jaswant Singh to Kandahar was unanimous.
Singh stressed on Thursday that his opinion of the BJP and its complex relationship with Hindutva has not changed. A year ago, he had said that the term had entered the BJP lexicon recently. "The BJP didn't have this word or use it earlier... it's a later admission. It would be useful for everybody to know what exactly Hindutva stands for," he tells NDTV as he begins a new term with his party.
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