New Delhi: Jaswant Singh on Wednesday fell a victim or praising Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah when the BJP summarily expelled him from the party, a decision that left him "hurt" and "saddened" but he will not appeal against or seek a review of.
Two days after release of his book "Jinnah-India, Partition, Independence" in Delhi, which was boycotted by BJP leaders, the 71-year-old former Union Minister, who had held key portfolios at the Centre, was expelled from the party severing his 30-year association with it.
The MP from Darjeeling, who was in his hotel, which was not far away from the venue of BJP's brainstorming session of the top brass, was first told not to attend the 'chintan baithak' and was conveyed over telephone the expulsion decision by party President Rajnath Singh.
Controversy hovered him when he was accused of illegal drug possession after he allegedly offered milk laced with opium (kesar), a traditional drink in the country's north, to his guests at his ancestral house during a function called "Riyan" in October last year. Jaswant, who was dragged to the court, denied the charge.
Soon after releasing his controversial book in July 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh challenged him to name the mole.
In response, Jaswant Singh sent a letter to him. The letter, Manmohan Singh said later, had no signature, and no name of any mole. Jaswant Singh then backed off, saying his views on the subject were based on a "hunch".
A liberal democrat, who supported economic reforms when he was the finance minister during the BJP-led NDA government, Jaswant has established a reputation of being his own man. He is also a prolific writer.
The first big `action' during Jaswant's stint as finance minister came in the form of the UTI restructuring which involved a huge amount of taxpayers money to bail out the two million unit holders of US-64.
Born on January 3, 1938, Jaswant who is not from a RSS background, is widely regarded for his handling of relations with the United States which were strained after the 1998 Indian nuclear tests but which ameliorated soon after culminating in the visit of U.S. President Clinton to India.
His skill as a negotiator and diplomat during talks with the United States has been well acknowledged by his U.S. counterpart Strobe Talbott. And that deep baritone voice, with the slightest hint of a tremble completes the persona that he so consciously presents.
Jaswant, who had a stint in the Army as an officer, has an abiding interest in defence issues and has been a member of the Defence Services Institute; Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies and International Institute of Strategic Studies, London.
Jaswant played a crucial role during the time when Indo-Pak relations had hit a nadir after Parliament was attacked by terrorists in December 2001, and a war between the two nations seemed imminent.
A man who loves his work as much as his sporty pastime, Jaswant plays golf and polo. The man, who stands erect despite a serious equestrian accident long back, exudes style and he even goes riding frequently.
Known for his self deprecating humour, Jaswant during a debate after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented his budget recently said the amount of tax relief given for senior citizens was not enough for him to buy even a "bottle of whisky."
Jaswant, who hails from Rajasthan, was BJP's surprise candidate from Darjeeling in West Bengal from where he won with the backing of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM).
He was an officer in the Indian Army in the 1960s and is an alumnus of Mayo College and the National Defence Academy (India), Khadakwasla. He served as Finance minister in the short-lived government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which lasted just from May 16, 1996, to June 1,1996.
Known for his moderate political views, he is a self-described liberal democrat.
After Vajpayee became Prime Minister again two years later, he became Minister for External Affairs serving from December 5, 1998 until July 1, 2002. Responsible for foreign policy, he dealt with high tensions between India and Pakistan.
In July 2002 he became Finance Minister again, switching posts with Yashwant Sinha. He served as Finance Minister until the defeat of the Vajpayee government in May 2004 and was instrumental in defining and pushing through the market-friendly reforms of the government.