Yasin Malik affidavit in Delhi HC: Khera hits out at BJP, cites Vajpayee’s outreach to separatists

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera on Friday accused the BJP of using jailed Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik’s affidavit as a political weapon to target former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while deflecting attention from questions on its own links with Malik.

In a post on X, Khera alleged that “since morning, BJP has been leaking parts of Yasin Malik’s affidavit to defame Dr Manmohan Singh and the UPA’s image.” He defended Singh’s engagement with Malik during his tenure, saying, “It is not surprising for a Prime Minister—in this case, Dr. Manmohan Singh—to show courtesy to someone who claims to be working for peace.”

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Khera, however, turned the spotlight on the Sangh Parivar’s own interactions with the separatist leader. “Why did the RSS meet Yasin Malik in 2011? At that time, BJP was not even in power. Why did the leadership of the BJP-RSS-affiliated think-tank, Vivekananda Foundation, hold talks with Yasin Malik? Is it true that during the Vajpayee era, Malik was made to speak with Dhirubhai Ambani over the phone through an intermediary?” he asked.

Recalling events from the UPA years, Khera pointed out that when Malik planned his ‘Safar-e-Azadi’ march in May 2007 and was arrested, it was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who personally intervened with the UPA government to ensure the march went ahead. “From Vajpayee ji to Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, when the state’s policy was dialogue and reconciliation, both governments met with all kinds of stakeholders,” Khera said.

Taking a dig at the ruling party, he added: “If Dr. Singh’s courtesy is to be questioned, perhaps BJP should explain Vajpayee ji’s smiling photos with Hurriyat leaders or Advani ji’s visit to Jinnah’s mausoleum in Karachi. Otherwise, we would all enjoy their silence.”