Journalism of Courage
BJP veterans LK Advani, Yashwant Sinha along with former BJP leader Kirti Azad were at the book launch of party MP Shatrughan Sinha. Shatrughan Sinha's book titled "Anything But Khamosh" was unveiled by Advani and Yashwant Sinha at a function in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
Shatrughan and Yashwant, who addressed each other as bhai, were candid in their criticism of the BJP’s strategy in Bihar — the former in the book, the latter on stage. Advani took a swipe at leaders who seek successive Rajya Sabha nominations, a subject that came up because Shatrughan was upset with him when he was once denied a nomination. Advani apologised for this. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
In the book, Shatrughan Sinha tells the biographer, Bharathi S Pradhan, of “notable exceptions” to the rule of not granting a third term in the Upper House: “Many party leaders like Arun Jaitley, and my friends Ravi Shankar Prasad and Venkaiah Naidu were given a third term in the Rajya Sabha.” (Source: PTI)
Shatrughan Sinha's actress daughter Sonakshi, his wife Poonam Sinha, son Kush, daughter-in-law Taruna Sinha were there to support the former actor. (Source: PTI)
Yashwant Sinha said such rules in the BJP were not applicable to everyone. “It’s like SS (Shatrughan Sinha) said in a private conversation, ‘You show me the man, I will show the rule.’ (These rules) will not apply to everyone. The entire political system has to take lessons in consistency, honesty and transparency in approach,” Yashwant said. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
Advani, whom Shatrughan Sinha considers the “ultimate leader”, said: “There are some people for whom it is not easy to be elected to the Lok Sabha — he is popular enough to be elected not just because of the party… Many people don’t have the courage to contest a Lok Sabha seat.” He said it was a party decision not to give a Rajya Sabha nomination for a third time, yet apologised for the denial. “I felt that I must apologise. I was rather unfair in forcing him to go to the Lok Sabha,” he said. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
Yashwant Sinha said Shatrughan “was not even made a campaigner” (in Bihar). “The stark truth is that he was not invited. Those who were managing did not find our utility. He may have got 10 people and I would have got two. But that was an addition,” Yashwant said. He took another jibe at the BJP leadership : “Margdarshak Mandal is a select committee that never meets.” (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
For once, Shatrughan refrained from any attack on the BJP leadership. But he is candid his book, which includes a swipe on BJP chief Amit Shah. “Amit Shah, our party president, had predicted with great confidence that we would win with 2/3rd majority,” he says. “Perhaps it has become a habit with him because he had said the same thing in Delhi also. But ultimately we got only two or three seats there instead of 2/3rd… Right from state president Mangal Pandey to Sushil Kumar Modi to Rajiv Pratap Rudy to Shahnawaz Hussain, anybody and everybody, repeated his words like parrots with full zeal, enthusiasm and overconfidence.”
Seen here with his daughter Sonakshi. (Source: PTI)
Shatrughan’s son Kush read out a passage from the book on how Sinha had helped Yadhya Bukhari, son of then then shahi imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, during the 1992-93 Mumbai riots. Kush’s speech took a different line: he said the debate on intolerance was “needless” and people who were silent on other incidents considered it a “fad” to comment on intolerance. (Source: PTI)
In the book, Shatrughan Sinha says Sushil Modi “strongly opposed” him and “fought against” his Lok Sabha nomination “till the end”. “My popularity and clean image and my respectability and acceptability among the masses made him very insecure although I have always maintained that I am not interested in being the chief minister of Bihar.” (Source: PTI)
Shatrughan’s daughter Sonakshi said she stood by her father when he came under attack from various people. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
Yashwant Sinha in conversation with former BJP leader Kirti Azad. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
Sonakshi Sinha in a pensive mood at the book launch. (Source: PTI)
