Thaindian News

Shimla, Aug 19 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh was expelled from the primary membership of the party Wednesday, two days after the release of his controversial book praising Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters here that the decision to expel the 71-year-old leader was taken by the party’s parliamentary board.

“He is now not a member of any forum of the party. I tried to inform him yesterday on the phone but he had left for Shimla,” the BJP chief said.

“Yesterday, I issued a statement about the BJP dissociating itself from Jaswant Singh’s views. The party discussed the matter at the chintan baithak (introspection session) and it was decided to expel him,” Rajnath Singh said.

“I put up the issue before the parliamentary board today, which decided to cancel his primary membership and he has been expelled from the party,” the BJP chief said.

Jaswant Singh, he added, had been informed in the morning that he should not attend attend the chintan baithak.

The former union minister, who has handled the defence, finance and external affairs portfolios, has earned the ire of party leaders for his book “Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence”. He had arrived here Tuesday noon for the introspection meeting.

But while all party leaders, including L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, are staying at the state guest house Peterhoff, Jaswant Singh cocooned himself at the Oberoi Group’s Hotel Cecil and stayed away from the others.

He also did not attend a dinner hosted by Advani Tuesday evening.