Reasons given for Jaswant sacking baseless; its manner graceless

After 13 years as a full-time activist of the Bharatiya Janata Party, my active association with the party has now come to an end. It was a decision I took with a heavy heart and after much inner deliberation, prompted by ideological differences with the party as it stands today. After the 2009 parliamentary elections, the situation inside the party led me to the painful conclusion that I cannot any longer make meaningful contribution to the BJP.

I had two options before me: to continue working for the party or to remain true to my own convictions and retain the freedom to express my views. I chose the latter option.

I have always regarded the party to be greater than the individual. The framework of discipline of a political party has to be accepted and respected by all its workers. If an individual activist has serious differences with the organization, then the right choice for him is to step out. This is what I have done.

I have the satisfaction of having served the party with sincerity, commitment and to the best of my abilities, which, of course, is true about tens of thousands of ordinary workers of the party. I shall continue to be its well wisher.

It was my good fortune and proud privilege to work closely with the two tallest leaders of the party, who are also the two tallest leaders of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shri L K. Advani. For both I continue to have the highest respect, which has not diminished by my decision.

I learnt from them, as also from other senior and other colleagues in the party, many valuable lessons in political life. I shall forever remain grateful to all of them for the opportunity I had to serve this great party and the rich experience I gained from it.

I was attracted to the BJP in 1996 because of two factors. First was my disillusionment with the Indian communist movement, where I began my life as a political activist. I found answers to many of my questions in Integral Humanism, the philosophical treatise authored by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the ideological guru of the BJP. I regard him as one of the greatest political thinkers of modern India. The second factor was the attraction of Shri Advani and Shri Vajpayee, whose high idealism inspired me to join the party.

I would like to clarify that my decision was in no way prompted by the unfortunate disciplinary action taken by the BJP against Shri Jaswant Singh, one of its founder members and senior leaders.

I had communicated my decision to Shri Advani over a fortnight ago. The reasons given for the expulsion of Shri Jaswant Singh are as baseless as its manner graceless. The ban on his book is totally unjustified, and I do hope that this display of illiberalism in important intellectual debates is not repeated.

The BJP is a highly resilient party. It has overcome many a difficult situation in its history. It has many capable leaders, besides a vast army of dedicated workers. I have no doubt that it will do so again and emerge stronger in the days to come.

The emergence of the BJP as a vibrant national alternative is also the need of the hour for strengthening India’s democracy and governance.

As an independent activist in public life, I shall devote my energy to promote the ideals of Good Governance and consensus-building in the national interest. In so doing, I look forward to working closely with like-minded people in all the political parties and also in the non-political sphere.