RR Patil can quote Vajpayee, but Jitendra Awhad can’t

The controversial book rocked the assembly on Monday. NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad said that the ban on the book should remain.

He slammed the members of the opposition for changing their stance. “In 2003, the BJP was not as aggressive as today," Awhad said. "The then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had said, 'It is not correct to bring a ban on any book. Such issues need to be debated and tackled with exchange of ideas (Vicharon ka muqabla vicharon se hona chahiye)."

It triggered a huge uproar from the BJP members in the assembly. To pacify them, home minister RR Patil, also of the NCP, asked Awhad to retract his statement. He also requested the speaker that the statement be not recorded.

Interestingly, Patil himself referred to this very statement by Vajpayee on March 14, 2004, and asked the then speaker to put it on record. “I would not have quoted Vajpayee had he not said these words at a public meeting in Mumbai,” Patil had said. His statement is documented in the assembly library.

In the state council too, NCP leader Vinayak Mete reminded the members of Vajpyee’s comments. The BJP members objected, saying, “He is speaking out of context.” However, Mete’s statement was recorded.