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New Delhi, Mar 27 (ANI): Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Kapil Sibal on Sunday criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over fresh revelations by whistle blowing website Wikileaks that the party’s senior leader Arun Jaitley had referred to Hindu nationalism as an ‘opportunistic issue’.

Asserting that the conversation between Jaitley and US envoy Robert Blake was a quoted one and is not an unverifiable source, Sibal also said that Jaitley should apologise to the nation.

“They were giving so much importance to WikiLeaks. Now they are facing the same heat. The Congress considers it unverifiable but we will have to deal with the BJP in the same manner as it did with the Congress in Parliament last week,” Sibal told reporters here.

Denying the statements made by him reported by WikiLeaks cable, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had on Saturday said that the use of ‘opportunistic’ was in reference to nationalism.

In a statement issued, Jaitley said: “A Cable by a US Diplomat to his Government in 2005 makes a reference to his conversation with me. The Cable reflects my views on cross-border terrorism, illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and the unfair denial of US Visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister.”

“However, the use of the word ‘opportunistic’ in reference to nationalism or Hindu nationalism is neither my view nor my language. It could be the Diplomat’s own usage,” he added

In the latest WikiLeaks expose, it has been revealed that way back in May 2005 senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley had told US diplomats in private that Hindu nationalism was an opportunistic issue for the party.

Jaitley made the remarks in a private conversation with Robert Blake, the Charge at the US Embassy, and the Political Counsel on May 06, 2005. “Pressed on the question of Hindutva, Jaitley argued that Hindu nationalism ‘will always be a talking point’ for the BJP.

However, he characterised this as an opportunistic issue, Blake wrote in a confidential cable dated May 10, 2005.

Making his conclusions from the interaction, Blake reported that his ‘credentials with the Sangh Parivar are weak, and he may not have what it takes to mobilise the BJP base’. During the talk, Jaitley said LK Advani would most likely lead the BJP two to three more years, after which one of five next generation leaders (him being one of them) would take the reins.

Jaitley also commented on the issue of revocation of the visa of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying it was difficult for him to understand the US move, as it was the BJP that started the transformation of US-India ties. (ANI)