Which Sayeed is Vaidik on?

Who gave him the authority?
It is not important if journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik is guilty of of transgression or not, we should know who has made him do this. A proper investigation must happen to know whose orders did Vaidik follow, to go and meet Sayeed. You cannot take it as a crime but who has told him to meddle in such matters and given him the authority? It looks like some non-constitutional agencies are running the government. Vaidik is perceived to be attached to the organisation like Vivekananda Foundation, which is dominated by RSS members. Looking at recent trends it shows that every constitutional head within the government machinery after retirement starts working for RSS. It shows how RSS has a big hand in running the nation. We have to know what unconstitutional agency was working behind Vaidik's trip to Pakistan to meet Sayeed.
BG Kolse Patil, Former High Court Judge


The incident seems pre-planned...
Just because Vaidik is a journalist, he has the right to do anything or meet anyone is a fallacy. There are some ethics and some rules of conduct that needs to be followed. He is a freelance journalist, so when he goes to a person like Sayeed, three things need to be looked into which are the facts that the article that he filed after the interview was just a report and did not mention anything about the dialogue between him and Hafiz Sayeed. The second thing is he should not go to someone who is a proclaimed criminal and has conspired against the nation, questioning the nations security. The third most unforgivable was the statement that he made regarding Kashmir. There needs to be some action taken against him and he should be booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The entire incident seems to be pre-planned and fishy. All the people who went along with Vaidik, he is the only one who had a visa for three weeks as opposed to the others who returned after their visit to the university.
Ratnakar Mahajan, Congress Spokesperson


Much ado about nothing...
I think the amount of hue and cry created around Vaidik meeting Sayeed is unnecessary. The press definitely has some kind of freedom and condemning Vaidik for this, is curtailing his freedom. His meeting has in no way caused any harm to the national interests or national security and so there is nothing wrong in his meet. As far as the Kashmir related statement is concerned it has not been proved and he too has denied having made any such statements and so he cannot be condemned for it. He cannot in anyway be denied freedom of press or freedom of speech as long as it does not harm the nations security whether he is a full time or a freelance journalist. This issue has been raised by the television channels without much need for it and looks like they have been paid to do so.
SCN Jatar, President, Nagrik Chetna Manch


Vaidik has someone's support...
It needs to be clarified if the government was aware of Vaidiks meet with Hafiz Sayeed and why they met in particular. In my opinion Vaidik would definitely not do something like this on his own, he has someone's backing. And even if he has, journalists are allowed to meet whoever they want, there is no restrictions on that. He did not write any article about the interaction he had with Sayeed and that is probably the main problem. All was said and done in secrecy and it was only after Hafiz Sayeeds tweet that we knew of Vaidik meeting him. If it was only for an article or a story that he met Sayeed, then why did he keep it under covers. There have been many journalists who have met people like Sayeed but were never quiet about it. The silence from Vaidik is creating the hype around this problem.
Subhash Vare, Secretary, SM Joshi Socialist Foundation


Vaidik should be ashamed...
The matter of this freelance journalist, Ved Pratap Vaidik, alleged secretive meeting with terrorist Hafeez Sayeed in Pakistan, is a case related our external affairs ministry. Other than the government nobody should interfere in the matter. It is a very sensitive and critical case. Vaidik has no right to play with country's foreign affairs. Hafiz Sayeed is India's most wanted terrorist and Vaidik should be ashamed of what he is doing. We should find out how Vaidik, a freelance journalist could come so close to Sayeed. I am surprised why Ramdv Baba is silent and not speaking on this issue. The government should put Vaidik behind bars for transgression.
Shantanu Pendharkar, citizen activist