Jaswant Singh blames Nehru, Patel for partition on Pak television

Islamabad: Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh has once again invited controversy by blaming India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. In an interview with the Dawn News, Singh blamed Pandit Nehru and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel for the partition and creation of Pakistan.Referring to Nehru’s Tryst with destiny speech, Singh said it was nothing short of double standard as Nehru himself talked of secularism while contributing to the country’s division along with Sardar Patel on grounds of so called ’faith’.Singh claimed that later Nehru had himself admitted of being responsible for the partition. It is worth mentioning here that Jaswant Singh’s book ’Jinnah: ndia-Partition-Independence’ which saw him being expelled from the BJP after serving it for nearly 30 years has received an overwhelming response in Pakistan.Singh, in his book, has glorified Jinnah while blaming Sardar Patel for the country’s division in 1947. The book quotes Singh as saying that Jinnah did not win Pakistan, rather Nehru and Patel conceded Pakistan to Jinnah with the help of the British.Meanwhile, authorities have denied permission to Singh to visit Pakistan to launch his book. However, Singh’s son Manvendra Singh said his father has not applied for a visa, and as far as he knew. He also rejected reports that there was a different Pakistan edition of the book.