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Jethmalani is at his usual best in House

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Ram Jethmalani's laudatory references to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday gladdened the Bharatiya Janata Party's heart even though the former Union law minister refuted government charges against him in his usual style.

" In many a public pronouncement I have said with genuine feeling, without any element of flattery or hypocrisy, that I am not proud of being a minister of the Union government, but I am quite proud of being prime minister Vajpayee's minister..." Jethmalani said in the House, on circumstances which led to his controversial resignation.

He stressed that he was not a ''weather cock that changed direction with every breeze that blew'' and for wished the prime minister and the government "a full and glorious term."

Jethmalani pointed out that "a prime minister has the right to choose his company and it is his prerogative to rid himself of a colleague whom he perceives to be discordant."

He said Vajpayee's asking him to resign was legal and constitutional.

Responding to the prime minister's charge that he had not learnt the art of silence, he said, "I gladly plead guilty. I am nearing the end of my journey. It is too late to change and I have no desire to change either."

The former minister pointed out, "Silence in the face of wrong is no different from being a conspirator and the truth must be loudly trumpeted from the housetops," adding, "he [the prime minister] is a silent beneficiary of my discordant speech."

BJP spokesman Venkaiah Naidu welcomed Jethmalani's reference to the prime minister and his government, saying, "People expected some bombs (during Jethmalani's speech in the Rajya Sabha), but this government has not committed any impropriety. We appreciate Jethmalani's admiration for the prime minister and this government."

According to Naidu, the wind had been taken out of the Opposition's sails because of the government's stance on the Jethmalani controversy. But on being asked about the government's recently-appointed probe to look into the leakage of documents which were in the former minister's possession, Naidu evasively said the government would proceed with the matter after considering relevant parts of Jethmalani's speech in the House on Tuesday.

The Congress reaction to Jethmalani's speech was muted, with spokesperson Margaret Alva contending that the party would move a notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss alleged impropriety of government functionaries in the controversy. She did not elaborate.

Jethmalani did not spare the prime minister and his government when refuting charges against him.

He dismissed the government charge that by keeping his correspondence with the chief justice of India he had violated the law.

"That making or keeping copies of one's correspondence is theft will shock the dumbest law student. I won't waste time on it," Jethmalani said.

He contended, "The whole world has been complimenting this government for this enlightened measure. But I regret that there is no light in the hearts and minds of those who level such charges. The whole world will be laughing at us for the colonial mindset that still cloud our good sense. The honourable prime minister and his young law minister (Arun Jaitley ) will be hard-put to answer embarrassing questions from liberals," Jethmalani asserted. "For god's sake, do not make us look ridiculous."

Differing with Vajpayee's allegations that he had impaired harmony between the judiciary and executive, Jethmalani pointed out, "Tension is a welcome sign. The so-called harmony between the two may well be at the expense of constitutional democracy itself."

In a veiled reference to his recent acrimonious correspondence with Chief Justice A S Anand, the former minister emphasised, "While I am a supporter of judicial activism and all my life I have fought for independence and glory of the judiciary, I will not surrender any executive privilege to lease a judge even if he happens to be the highest."

Jethmalani ended by saying that a letter by the prime minister had been leaked to television host Karan Thapar in BBC's HardTalk programme and "I was shocked to learn that he had access to it."

Jethmalani said the committee should be directed to probe this, "otherwise, you should appoint your own (parliamentary) committee."

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