BJP has lost its vision, heeding to 'petty whims': Jaswant Singh

NEW DELHI: A day after he was expelled from the BJP on charges of indiscipline, Jaswant Singh today lashed out at the party, saying it had lost its vision and frittered away its virtues for temporary political gains by heeding to "petty whims" of individuals.

Hitting out at the party he joined at its founding in 1980, Singh said the BJP was no longer what its founders Atal Behari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat envisioned and there was "total confusion" between values, norms and unacceptable short cuts.

"A party that cannot afford its most loyal adherents even the very basic courtesies, puts petty whims of individuals before the greater good of the people has certainly lost its vision and frittered away its virtues for temporary political gains. To what end, only time will tell," Singh said in a statement issued today.

The BJP had yesterday expelled Singh for six years for contesting as an independent against party's official nominee Col Sonaram Choudhary from Barmer parliamentary constituency in Rajasthan.

Defending his decision to contest against "a Congress defector with questionable public record", Singh said the election in the segment exemplified how the values which the BJP stood for were being destroyed under the garb of "party discipline".

"This election in Barmer-Jaisalmer constituency very sadly exemplifies how these values are being perverted, indeed almost destroyed under the false pretense of party discipline, commitment to individuals rather than issues and principles, depressingly blatant disguising of facts and total confusion between values, norms and unacceptable short cuts."