New Delhi: Raising the issue of key Baba Ramdev’s close aide Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik finds himself in the midst of a controversy after Vaidik released a picture of himself with 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Protests by the Congress leader sled to the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha till noon.
Congress leader Manish Tewari termed Vaidik’s meeting with Saeed as bizarre and said that it is intriguing that a senior journalist like Vaidik met India’s enemy number one who had orchestrated 26/11 attack and is patron of anti-Indian militants.
Reacting to Digvijay Singh’s comment, Vaidik said, “I have never been a special envoy for any PM, I am my own envoy. If I didn’t become an envoy for Indira Gandhi, Narsimha Rao or Atal Behari Vajpayee why would I be an envoy for Narendra Modi? I have been meeting Presidents and PM of countries & rebel forces, I wasn’t envoy of any PM.
Vaidik had an hour-long meeting with Saeed at the latter’s residence in Lahore earlier this month. He claimed that he had a candid discussion with him on a range of issues, including the emergence of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India, terrorism and the recent inclusion of JuD in the list of terrorist organizations drawn up by the US.
Vaidik said that he contradicted all of Saeed’s statements. “Discussion was tensed initially, then his views were changed,” he said, while also adding that at the end of the meeting, Saeed requested him to invite him to India so that he can hold a large public meeting to clarify his position.
However, most senior BJP leaders are shying away from saying anything on the issue with even Home Minister Rajnath Singh choosing to dodge questions on the issue in Parliament today. The issue has taken a political colour with the opposition pressing the government to clear its stand on the issue.
Bureau Report
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