Monday, August 22 2005 10:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Reviving the controversy that the Sangh Parivar appeared to have buried, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday (August 21, 2005) said Pakistan founder Mohd Ali Jinnah was secular in his initial days but was later responsible for the country's partition.

Participating in a condolence meeting for veteran Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader and ideologue H V Seshadri, Vajpayee made an address, which was interpreted in different ways in the Sangh Parivar.

Some saw in it an approval of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President L K Advani's controversial remarks in Pakistan, which prompted RSS to ask him to step down, while others saw the opposite in it.

Vajpayee spoke in the presence of RSS Chief K S Sudarshan, who, however, did not comment on the Jinnah controversy but asserted that the Sangh has survived four generations because it was 'ideology-centric and not personality-based.'

Referring to the recent controversy but without taking names, the former Prime Minister recalled that Seshadri in his book 'Tragic Story of Partition' had written that many people who were nationalists later on became communal and religious fanatics.

"What happened to such people? Why Jinnah changed his colours? He had nothing to do with communalism or Islam. It was wrong to call him religious and when he became associated with the Home Rule movement, he used to say he belonged to the sect which believed in 'Dashavataras' and practised Hindu social customs and laws of succession," he said quoting extensively from the book, which he asked everyone, who want to know about the partition, to read.

Vajpayee said Jinnah used to hate religious fanaticism and to illustrate his point read out an anecdote from Seshadri's book wherein he tells Motilal Nehru that he does not believe in the Bakwaas (non-sense) of Mullahs.

"It is regrettable that he had to go with the fools," the former Prime Minister said quoting the RSS veteran.

"However, we have to see in totality and he (Jinnah) was responsible for the Muslim League, the country's partition and religious fanaticism," he said in what was seen by some as a rebuttal of Advani's assertion that Jinnah was secular.

During his recent Manali sojourn, Vajpayee had defended Advani's statement on Jinnah saying the latter had only reproduced what Jinnah had told the Pakistan Constituent Assembly.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Jaswant Singh and suspended party leader Madan Lal Khurana were present on the occasion.

Paying rich tributes to Seshadri, he said the late RSS leader first set the direction for himself and then gave the right direction to others.

Asserting that Sangh owed its existence to being 'ideology centric' as against being 'personality-oriented,' RSS Chief K S Sudarshan said even ordinary Swayamsewaks can ask questions to the Sarsanghchalak as they did when a television channel quoted him 'out of context' (that both Vajpayee and Advani should pave way for second generation).

"I am aggressive by nature. I say whatever comes to my mind but Seshadriji used to point it out while keeping in mind the dignity of the RSS Chief's office," he said.

Recalling several instances and in an apparent message to the BJP President, Sudarshan said if any deviation is made, then one must consult others and arrive at a consensus.