I am saddened but it's not end of the road: Jaswant Singh

NEW DELHI: Stunned by the ferocity of BJP���s counter-attack against him, Mr Jaswant Singh regretted that an association of 30 years had been terminated abruptly by the party, without giving him a chance to present his side of the story.

Hours after the expulsion order was made public, a visibly emotional Jaswant Singh appeared before newspersons in his hotel in Shimla. ���My biggest worry is that I���ve been expelled from the party merely for writing a book. You can dispute what I���ve written. The day in India we stop questioning thought, reading, writing, publishing, we���ll be entering a very, very dark alley,��� he said.

He, at the same, made it clear that he was not going to appeal against the decision, even though proper procedures had not been followed. ���I don���t want to appeal. I don���t want any reconsideration. For me, self-respect is more important than anything else,������ the former Union minister said.

He maintained that he had no regrets for writing the book, which led to his ouster from the party. ���Regret? Why should I regret five years of labour? I have written what is my reading of that painful period of history,��� he said in response to a query, adding, ���I have committed no sin. None, whatsoever against India.���

But he did have regrets about the manner in which he had been treated by the party. ���I do have regrets about the manner in which I was evicted from the house after staying in it for 30 years. How can I be happy,��� he said. He recalled a cartoon published in a leading journal when he was shifted from the external affairs ministry to the finance ministry during the NDA government.

���It described me as Vajpayee���s Hanuman, for shouldering crucial responsibilities. I���ve now been reduced to a Ravan,��� Mr Singh bemoaned.He said he felt saddened by the turn of events. ���This afternoon, around 1 pm, Rajnath Singh called me to say that the CPB had decided to strip me of the party���s primary membership. Rajnathji and Advaniji could have met me personally to inform me of the party���s decision. After all, I���ve been a member of the party since its birth. I���ve served it to the best of my ability,��� the former Union minister said.

He also found fault with the modus-operandi of the expulsion order. ���I am also sad that proper procedures, such as issuing a show-cause notice, were dispensed with. An association of 30 years has been terminated abruptly,��� he lamented. ���There ought not to be selectivity in addressing the question of dissent and discussion. Some members feel that there has been a great deal of selectivity,��� he added.

The former Union minister insisted at the same time that his political life was ``not over������ yet, and that he was merely ``saddened������ by the turn of events.