The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to completely disassociate itself from the contents of the Jinnah book authored by its senior leader, Jaswant Singh, doing so on Tuesday morning in less than 24 hours after it was launched.
However, some party leaders, including Venkaiah Naidu, said no action was being contemplated against Mr. Singh for currently he did not hold any important position in the party except that he is a member of the partys powerful Parliamentary Board.
Some senior party leaders like Sushma Swaraj have already stated that issues raised in the book, which seem to question the partys basic beliefs in relation to Indias Partition, would be discussed at the three-day brainstorming session starting in Shimla on Wednesday. Mr. Jaswant Singh is an invitee to the conclave to be attended by about 25 top leaders including L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, and Venkaiah Naidu.
What has irked the party especially is Mr. Jaswant Singhs supposed denigration of Indias first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, and the comparative praise heaped on Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Party leaders are also painfully aware that a similar praise of Jinnah as secular by L.K. Advani led to his exit as BJP president after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh made it clear that it would not tolerate such heresy.
A statement issued by BJP President Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said: The book, Jinnah India, Partition, Independence , by Shri Jaswant Singh does not represent the views of the BJP. In fact, the party completely disassociates itself from the contents of the book.
The important role of M.A. Jinnah in the division of India, which led to a lot of dislocation and destabilisation of millions of people, is too well known. We cannot wish away this painful part of our history.
Sardar Patel played a historic role in the unification and consolidation of India amidst serious threats to its unity and integrity. The entire country remains indebted and proud of the profound vision, courage and leadership of Sardar Patel.
Mr. Naidu later said that the Jinnah book was not a party document. The partys views on Jinnah and Partition have been set out in the June 10, 2005 resolution, he said. That resolution, ironically, was adopted to not only make clear the partys stand but also to counter the wrong impression created in the minds of the party cadre by Mr. Advanis famous `Jinnah is secular formulation during a visit to Pakistan in May-June of that year.
Mr. Naidu refused to say whether the issue would be discussed at the upcoming `chintan baithak as the brainstorming session has been named. He said what would be discussed cannot be discussed with the press.
Immediately the party is also feels disadvantaged because although some influential people in the media were given advance copies of the book and they have read it and have begun analysing its contents several party leaders admitted that they have not yet read the 600-page volume.
