May 1998:Only about six weeks after becoming the Defence Minister of India, George Fernandes claimed that China was providing funds to Pakistan for missiles, military aid to the junta in Myanmar and was also involved in a land and water encirclement of India. Matters reached a head when he went further and called China, “India’s potential threat No. 1”. China responded by saying: “Remarks by Fernandes have seriously sabotaged the favourable atmosphere for improving bilateral relations.” Fernandes later said his statement had been wrongly interpreted. June 1999: Fernandes said former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif and the ISI were not aware of the Army’s intrusion in Kargil. Initially the BJP defended the statement but later Home Minister L K Advani contradicted it by saying that Sharif was fully aware of all the activities in Kargil. Later Fernandes brought two senior military officers with him to brief the BJP’s national executive saying there was nothing wrong in it and any other party could also avail of the “facility” if a request was placed with the Defence Ministry. Fernandes followed this up by suggesting that Pakistani intruders in Kargil should be given ‘safe passage’. The party again contradicted his stand. September 1999: On September 17, 1999, Fernandes complained to Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill that excess ballot papers were printed for his constituency in Bihar. Fernandes said he had confirmed the information with the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (DIB) in Delhi. Upon enquiry it was found that the DIB had never provided Fernandes any such report. Home Minister L K Advani himself denied that the IB had furnished any such information to the Defence Minister. This was the first time that a Union Minister was censured by the EC. January 2001: In January 2001, Fernandes claimed to have been photographed on top of Peak 5353. Peak 5353 is one of the highest points on the LoC, which is under Pakistan’s control. During the early stages of the Kargil war, Indian troops tried to capture the peak but lost the battle. Fernandes, who was then the Defence Minister, said after the news of the defeat broke that the peak was never on India’s side of the LoC. Later the defence wing of the Press Information Bureau was blamed for the wrongly interpreted statement. March 2001: Fernandes forced to resign as Defence Minister following a sting operation conducted by journalists from Tehelka, posing as employees of a fictitious arms company. They claimed to have handed over money to Jaya Jaitly, the then general secretary of the Samata Party, at his residence. Fernandes was accused of ‘favouring’ the fictitious company in the arms deal. Eight months later, after he was cleared by the Phukan Committee Report, Fernandes was reinstated. October 2006: As NDA Convener, Fernandes accused PM Manmohan Singh of being “a silent spectator to gross misuse of the CBI” to “browbeat political opposition”. This came after the PM commented on a CBI case against Fernandes. Compiled by SHIVANI KAPOORLip SlipsOn Indira Gandhi: “Congenital liar. All dictators are congenital liars, but Madam, you excel them all!” On Sanjay Gandhi: “The third generation upstart hailed as the Rising Son.” On Bansi Lal: “Faceless hack.”On V P Singh: “If there is no V P Singh, we have to invent one.” On Rajiv Gandhi, after he ridiculed the coalition United Front government of V P Singh as “United Affront”: “If it (coalitions) can work in your mother-in-law’s country, it can work in your mother’s country also.” On Sonia Gandhi: “What is her contribution to the nation? The two children she gave birth to. She has contributed two people to the 100 crore population of our country.”On the secular vs non-secular claptrap: “There are two types of people in this country; those who are normal and those who are secular.”
