Jaswant Singh quits BJP, says Namo chant reminds him of 1975 Emergency

Defying the party, Jaswant Singh filed his nomination from Barmer Lok Sabha constituency as an Independent.

Express News Service | New Delhi | March 24

Jaswant Singh has accused the party leadership of betraying him.

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh has quit the party. The veteran leader, who on Monday filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Barmer, has accused the party leadership of betraying him. He went on to say that the BJP leadership had even betrayed the values of the party.

The veteran leader launched a veiled attack on Narendra Modi saying the “Namo-Namo tamasha” and the decision-making process in BJP shows the “arrogance” of the Emergency era.

“The Namo-Namo tamasha, the decision-making process (in BJP) reminds me of 1975. There is more of arrogance and less of taking everyone along,” Singh told a press conference shortly after he filed four sets of nomination papers before the collector, who is also the returning officer.

Earlier in the day while addressing a rally in Barmer after filing his nomination papers, the former Union minister hit out at BJP president Rajnath Singh and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, saying they had betrayed him.

“I suggested Vasundhara Raje for Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh for BJP president. They have betrayed me,” said Jaswant.

“Who are the people who have hurt you? One is the BJP President who has hit me for the second time. The conspiracy was hatched by Vasundhara Raje. I say with regret and pain that these two persons have sort of betrayed me, cheated me. The betrayal is not with Jaswant Singh alone but with BJP’s principles and ideologies,” he added.

He said that the fight was between the old and the new ideologies in the BJP, adding that the ticket was given to someone who had crossed over from the Congress party. “This is a fight not for me but for the principles on which the party was set up,” he said.

Soon after filing his nomination, Singh said, “I have taken a step for Barmer. Relief is what I am feeling right now.” “I am contesting on principles and for honour, not just for my honour, but for the honour of all citizens of Barmer,” he said.

This came a day after the veteran politician had said that he was “not a piece of furniture” to be “adjusted after polls”.