Rajnath won't be party president again: Yashwant

After Arun Shourie's no-holds-barred attack against BJP president Rajnath Singh, now senior party leader Yashwant Sinha has exclusively told NDTV that Rajnath won't be president again.

He said all this turmoil is not because Rajnath Singh will be president again, there will be a new BJP president in December unless the BJP's constitution is changed and there are plenty of options to Rajnath Singh.

On Thursday he spoke for the first time on the current turmoil in his party, he said it was wrong to sack a founder member of the BJP like Mr Jaswant Singh.

Sinha told NDTV: "Manner of Jaswant's sacking was wrong and will be delighted if Jaswant is asked to return."

Yashwant Sinha also said that the book should not have been banned in Gujarat.

Mr Sinha also contradicted Advani on Kandahar. Advani had said that he did not know or approve of Mr Jaswant Singh traveling to Kandahar, Sinha confirmed that Advani indeed knew all about the trip and could not understand why there are so many versions.

"Cabinet decided to send Jaswant to Kandahar and all present in meeting, including Advani, were aware," said the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand.

Full text: Yashwant Sinha's interview with NDTV

Dr Roy: What actually happened on the whole Kandahar episode? There are so many versions...

Yashwant Sinha: I don't know how many versions there are, but there is only one version which is the truthful version, which is that the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security which consisted of, apart from the Prime Minister the Home Minister, the Defence Minister, the External Affairs Minister and the Finance Minister. This was the Cabinet Committee on Security and all of us were present when it took two decisions -- one was to release the three terrorists in exchange for the 160-odd hostages in the Indian airlines flight, and the second one was that Mr Jaswant Singh should go to Kandahar as the representative of the government in order to tackle last-minute hitches if they were to arise so that the hostages could be brought back safely. That was the purpose of the whole exercise. So those were the two decisions taken, we all were present, we are were party to it.

Dr Roy: So you are saying in no uncertain terms that Mr Advani was fully aware of both these decisions? He was there?

Yashwant Sinha: All of us, all of us were fully aware; not only fully aware but fully in agreement with these decisions.

Dr Roy: So why are there these different stories, that he wasn't there?

Yashwant Sinha: I can't explain that Prannoy.

Dr Roy: We are seeing Mr Jaswant Singh expelled without a chance to even explain?

Yashwant Sinha: Ya, that's unfortunate. I have not commented on it so far but now that you have raised this question I must say that while I do not agree with Mr Jaswant Singh's statement on Jinnah, in fact I had differed with Mr Advani also when he had described him as secular; I would say the manner in which he was dealt with was perhaps not correct and that he certainly should have been given a chance to explain why action should not be taken against him; and I don't think writing a book with whatever views, especially on history, is such a crime that a founding member of the party should be expelled without giving him a chance to explain his conduct.

Dr Roy: The RSS former chief has come out with similar comments as Mr Jaswant Singh, in fact, perhaps even stronger than Jaswant Singh. So do you think they should give him a chance now, go back to him? Ask him back into the party?

Yashwant Sinha: It will be a very delightful development if Mr Jaswant Singh were to return to the party and proper amends be made for the fact that he was expelled without proper notice.

Dr Roy: What is your opinion? Should the book be banned?

Yashwant Sinha: No, I don't think any book should be banned and I remember Atalji saying the same thing when there were objections with regard to a book on Shivaji -- that the answer to a book is a book.

Dr Roy: Most of this turmoil is seen as jostling for who will be the next president of the BJP. Many say that Mr Rajnath Singh wants the constitution changed to allow him to have a second term. Do you think Rajnath Singh will be president after December?

Yaswant Sinha: Constitution of the party has amended, and it has been laid down that a party president will be elected for a three-year term and will not be repeated. So unless the constitution is amended, the current president cannot seek re-election.