Govt says no truck with self-appointed interlocutor of Hafiz Saeed
The Opposition on Monday took on the Government and the BJP both inside and outside Parliament over the meeting between freelance journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik and Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed. However, both the BJP and the Government said it had nothing to do with the meeting, while Vaidik, known for his proximity to Baba Ramdev, maintained that he met the Jamaat-ul-Dawa chief in his capacity as a journalist and had no regrets in doing so. He also refused to apologise.
Vaidik had met the JuD chief in lahore on July 2 while touring Pakistan with a group of journalists and politicians invited by a peace research institute. Saeed, the founder of Pakistan-based terror outfit lashkar-e-Tayyeba, is accused of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 166 people were killed. He is on India’s most wanted list and has a bounty of $1 crore on him.
Congress members along with their allies in the UPA created uproar in the Rajya Sabha forcing two adjournments during Question Hour. They sought to know whether the journalist had sought Government’s permission before meeting Saeed and who facilitated it. The issue was raised briefly in the lok Sabha as well.
Demanding a statement either by the External Affairs Minister or the Home Minister, the Congress said this was “a serious matter concerning national security”. Alleging that Vaidik was a key member of outfits close to the BJP, the Congress even demanded his arrest.
The BJP accused the Congress of presenting non-issues as issues before Parliament and giving lessons on patriotism when it had “surrendered” before terrorism and adopted a “soft” approach towards Saeed.
The ruling party also accused the Congress of doing so as a result of desperation and frustration after its rout in the lok Sabha elections. It also questioned the Congress for its inaction on Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik for sitting on a dharna with Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan on the Afzal Guru hanging issue.
Though the Government clarified that it had nothing to do with the meeting, Congress members in both Houses sought a detailed statement from the Government on the “purpose and motive behind the meeting with India’s most wanted terrorist”.
AICC spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad pointed that Vaidik belonged to the same organisation Vivekananda International Foundation, whose three members Nripendra Misra, PK Mishra and Ajit Doval are now working for the Modi Government. He alleged that the PMO is directly involved in the Vaidik-Saeed meet.
Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that Saeed is an anti-India terrorist. “The Government has nothing to do with directly, indirectly or even remotely with any journalist meeting Saeed. The Government has not sanctioned permission to anyone for meeting him,” Jaitley said.
Congress member Digvijay Singh raised questions as to whether Vaidik met Saeed as an envoy of the NDA Government or as a personal envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chairman Hamid Ansari disallowed Singh from raising the issue saying this was not the occasion for it and took up the Question Hour. But as Congress members persisted, Ansari adjourned the House.
The issue was raised in the lower House by KC Venugopal (Congress), NK Premachandran (RSP) and E Ahamed (IUMl), with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asking the agitated members to take their seats, saying “you can’t compel the government to make a statement.”
Former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma asked whether the Government was “in the loop” as “such meetings cannot take place without the knowledge of the officials. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the country needs to be taken into confidence about this issue. “We have sought from the Government that a reply is needed.... Why had Vaidik goneIJ Is he an envoy or is some back channel diplomacy taking placeIJ This country should know. The nation needs to know, and the nation must be taken into confidence,” Tharoor said.
Vaidik defended his meeting with Saeed, saying he has been meeting all kinds of people and that it was a “simple thing” for him. “Journalists in Pakistan know me for decades. They made a gesture to me to meet Hafiz and I agreed. I have been meeting the Maoists of Nepal, Taliban of Afghanistan. By raising the iusse in Parliament, they are giving me free publicity,” Vaidik said.
Saeed while taking note of protests termed it “narrow mindedness” of Indian politicians. “Dr Vaidik asked if we would protest Modi’s visit to Pakistan, on which I replied, ‘We don’t participate in such politics & protests’. We meet everyone with an open heart, whoever wants to meet; regardless of nation, belief or religion,” Saeed said.