Firing a fresh salvo at L.K. Advani, expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh has claimed that the former Home Minister stopped Atal Bihari Vajpayee from taking action against Narendra Modi over the 2002 riots on the ground that it could trigger uproar in the party.
He said Prime Minister Vajpayee was “disturbed” and wrote down his resignation letter in his Parliamentary office. “Parliament was in session,” Mr. Singh said on NDTV’s ‘Walk the Talk’ programme.
“He [Vajpayee] pulled a piece of paper and he started writing his resignation by hand. I held his hand and he looked at me severely and I said: ‘What are you doing. Don’t do this’.”
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He said chod do and, I somehow persuaded him. We went to his house. We were able to defuse the situation,” Mr. Singh said.
Mr. Singh said, he, along with Mr. Vajpayee, Mr. Advani and Arun Shourie, was flying to Goa for a BJP meeting when the conversation relating to Mr. Modi cropped up.
“He [Vajpayee] asked, Gujarat ka kya karna hai [what should be done about Gujarat?] ... there was silence for sometime. He then said Gujarat ke bare mein sochna chahiye. Then Advaniji went towards the bathroom. Atalji said poochhiye fir ky karna hai [ask him then what should be done?]
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“I went and asked Advaniji. Advaniji just said one phrase — bawaal khada ho jayega party mein [there will be uproar in the party],” Mr. Singh said.