I can’t talk about what happened as far as Mr Narendra Modi is concerned, but I will admit openly that Mr Vajpayee and myself rarely discussed the political issues, the party issues.

•Was he deeply pained?

Obviously, and when he talked about rajdharma, he was explaining his anguish. There was a meeting in Goa where a decision was to be taken. Strong views were expressed from both sides at that meeting. Mr Vajpayee’s democratic instincts are so strong that if he sees that there is a very strong feeling in the party on an issue, he does not stand against it.

•Do you wish that he had taken a call on Mr Modi then?

I don’t want to get involved in legal issues, because cases are going on. I don’t think it would have been possible to say that Mr Modi should resign and leave. I don’t think that would have been possible in the BJP.

•n But it would have been possible to get him to make amends?

Yes.

•He still hasn’t done that; you still haven’t got one line in contrition from him.

The Supreme Court is doing something. I don’t want to get involved in this.

•And the other two instances I quoted — the Jinnah episode and the Varun Gandhi episode?

I don’t think he (Advani) has gone back on the Jinnah statement.

•And Varun Gandhi?

I am absolutely clear that his speech and his behaviour at that time did the greatest amount of damage to the BJP and the party should have totally moved away from him.

... contd.