The Government on Tuesday disapproved of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik’s meeting with Jamaat-ul-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan and said it had neither any role in it nor any advance knowledge of it.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government has sought a full report from the Indian High Commission in Pakistan and it will be shared with the House. Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed this controversial meeting as “a diplomatic misadventure by a private individual.”
“The Government disapproves of this meeting, hence, there is no question of any back channel diplomacy. There is no hidden agenda from our side. Hafiz Saeed is the main culprit behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, hence, not only he calls for disrespect but for condemnation. We distance ourselves from this activity,” Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha.
She was responding to questions from leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad who sought to know if the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad or the Indian Intelligence setup was aware of this meeting. Swaraj said she has sought a report from Indian Ambassador in Pakistan on this.
Earlier, both Houses of Parliament were rocked for the second consecutive day over the meeting between Vaidik and Saeed, founder of lashkar-eTaiba. Proceedings were disrupted repeatedly as the Opposition sought to know which agency facilitated the meeting between the two. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also turned on the heat by calling Vaidik an “RSS man” and questioned whether the Indian High Commission in Islamabad facilitated the meeting. Both Vaidik and RSS denied the allegation that he was associated with the organization.
In Rajya Sabha, raising the matter during Zero Hour, Azad put pointed questions to the treasury bench: “It is a matter of concern for the entire nation. If Vaidik has said something directly or indirectly to Hafiz Saeed, what action have we initiated against himIJ” Referring to Vaidik’s interview with a Pakistani TV channel, Azad said the journalist said if he was the Prime Minister he would have allowed Saeed’s entry into Kashmir without a visa. The Congress leader also said Vaidik claimed he was for merger of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Kashmir should be an independent entity.
“The person (Vaidik) or his views have nothing to do with either the Government or my party. If there is one party which in the last 66 years has a very strong view on Jammu and Kashmir it is my party,” Jaitley replied. The Opposition, however, was not satisfied with the Minister’s statement and raised a din leading to adjournment.
In the lok Sabha, Swaraj said the allegations that the Government facilitated the journalist’s meeting with Saeed were false and baseless. “I am saying with full responsibility and very categorically and unequivocally that the Government is in no way associated with this meeting. Neither did he (Vaidik) while going to Pakistan, nor after going there, inform us that he was meeting Saeed. This is purely a private visit and a personal meeting,” she said.
“The charges that he had gone there as somebody’s emissary or that he is a follower of someone and that the Government was associated with the meeting in any way is completely untrue, baseless and very unfortunate. The Government of India has nothing to do with it,” Swaraj added. However, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut demanded action against Vaidik akin to action taken against Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru if it was true that the journalist had bad-mouthed India in Pakistan.
As soon as lok Sabha met for the day, Congress members led by Mallikarjun Kharge were on their feet, demanding a reply from the Government on the meeting. When the Speaker declared that Question Hour would not be suspended, Congress members trooped into the Well shouting slogans like ‘Vaidik ko mat bachao’ (Don’t protect Vaidik), ‘Home Minister jawab do’ (Home Minister must explain), ‘Hafiz ka sach batao’ (Tell us the truth about the Hafiz affair).