Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

'Advani stopped Vajpayee from acting against Modi'

August 22, 2009 12:52 IST
Firing a fresh salvo at senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani, expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh has claimed that the former home minister stopped former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from taking action against Gujarat CM Narendra Modi over the 2002 riots on the ground that it could trigger uproar in the party.

Prime Minister Vajpayee was "disturbed" and wrote down his resignation letter in his Parliamentary office.

"Parliament was in session," 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," Jaswant said.

"I somehow I persuaded him. We went to his house. We were able to defuse the situation," Singh said.

Singh said he alongwith Vajpayee, Advani and Arun Shourie were flying to Goa for a BJP meeting when the conversation relating to the Gujarat Chief Minister 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)? I went and asked Advaniji. Advaniji just said one phrase -- bawaal khada ho jayega party mein (there will be uproar in the party," Singh said.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.