Jaswant unplugged: Advani stopped Vajpayee from acting against Modi (after the riots)

Asked if this meant that Advani came to Modis rescue while Vajpayee called for action,Singh said: I think that is correct.

Incidentally,it is the Modi government in Gujarat that has banned Singhs book on Jinnah.

Singh said that after Advanis remarks,Vajpayee did not push the matter although he remained disturbed during those days.

Singh recalled how Vajpayee once even decided to resign. Pramod (Mahajan) was there. In the Prime Ministers Parliament office…I dont remember the exact context. Pramod called me from the House. Jaldi aaiye,Jaswantji. When I went,I was told sambhaaliye,sambhaaliye,istifa de rahe hain. He (Vajpayee) had called his Secretary. I told his Secretary to go away and not come back. He sternly asked me kya kar rahe ho, said Singh. Then he pulled a piece of paper and started writing the resignation by hand. I held his hand. I said Atalji aap mat kariye. Somehow I persuaded him. Later,I went to his house and we were able to defuse the situation.

Singh said that it was morally diminishing on the part of Advani to have remained a silent spectator on his expulsion from the party over his book.

Advaniji is an author. In fact,I was present at the launch of his book where Mohan Bhagwat was also there. It was there that I had announced that I was writing a book on Jinnah, he said.

Jaswant said that he disagreed with the cash-for-votes sting operation during the UPA governments trust vote last July and had expressed his views to Advani suggesting him to dissociate from it but Advani kept quiet.

It (sting operation) made no difference to electoral results…it was a great error of judgment…I think it was a question of gaining electoral advantage, Singh said. I told Advaniji that please dont associate yourself with it. I did caution him in his own Parliament office… he kept quiet, Singh said. Perhaps he (Advani) aspired too much.