New Delhi: Displaying bipartisanship after the terrorist attack on Parliament in December 2001, then Congress president and Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi had called Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said she was worried about his safety.
The late BJP leader had echoed the same sentiment, his media adviser recalled.
Speaking to the 101st birth anniversary of the former prime minister, Ashok Tandon said the phone call was significant in India’s politics.
“After the attack, Gandhi had called up Vajpayee and said, ‘Mr. Prime Minister, are you alright? Are you safe? I am worried about your safety?”‘ Tandon recounted. “In response, Atal ji said, ‘Sonia ji, I am also worried about you. I hope you are not stuck in Parliament. Take care of yourself.'”
“This gesture by the two leaders, the leader of the opposition and the prime minister, at a time when the country was facing a crisis, was, in my opinion, a very significant event for the country’s democratic politics. At that time, the entire country was united, and the opposition stood united with Vajpayee ji,” the media adviser said.
In the attack on December 13, 2001, nine people – six personnel of the Delhi Police, two from the Parliament Security Service, and a gardener – were killed. All five terrorists from the Jaish-e-Mohammed, who had carried out the attack, were gunned down by security forces.
The terrorists had driven into the complex in a car and began shooting as soon as they got out.
Recalling an anecdote from Vajpayee’s time as prime minister, Tandon said then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif had told the BJP leader that he could win elections in the country.
“I remember when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was addressing a gathering at the Governor’s House in Lahore… He appealed wholeheartedly to the people of Pakistan, saying, ‘Look, we are neighbours. We can change friends, but we cannot change our neighbours.'” he said.
“He made this heartfelt appeal to the people of Pakistan, and it had a significant impact on them. Jokingly, Nawaz Sharif said, ‘Mr Vajpayee, you could even win elections in Pakistan now,'” he added.
