Facts about Kuldip Nayar’s visit to Amritsar

Facts about Kuldip Nayar’s visit to Amritsar

In view of certain comments being made in social media criticizing Mr. Kuldip Nayar’s visit to Amritsar stating that he is campaigning for Arun Jaitly, we the undersigned  met Mr. Nayar today evening. 

Mr. Nayar told us that his visit to Amritsar was a private  affair  for  about a day   i.e. he went to Amritsar on 17th and returned on 18th April. He did meet Arun Jaitly but he neither addressed  any public meeting  nor  met the press nor made any public appeal.    

However Barkha Dutt of NDTV  met  Mr. Nayar  in the hotel room  where  he was staying and requested for his bite. She asked questions about BJP, Modi and Arun Jaitly. Mr. Nayar  commented  that BJP is a communal and divisive party and it would not be good for the country if BJP comes to power.  

About   Jaitly he said that he  has a good reputation, he is well read, he is best candidate,  that he was with him imprisoned in Tihar jail during emergency and  that  he is a family member. About  Narendra Modi  he  commented  that Modi is a collateral damage and some other unpalatable remarks.   However the part of the interview where Mr. Nayar dubbed BJP as communal and divisive party and not good to assume power and  the other unpalatable remarks  was not telecast for reasons  best known to the NDTV.  

Barkha Dutt in her  introductory comments said  that there were  persons who  were  backing Arun Jaitly without backing the party and  mentioned Mr. Nayar  as one of those persons who was in town to support Mr. Jaitly. Such comments were introduced later on while preparing the  59 minutes report  telecast on 18th April,2014 captioned as  “The Amritsar Paradox”  in which Mr. Nayar’s bite was only for 24 seconds, and it seems to have  created an impression that Mr. Nayar was there in the town  campaigning for  Arun Jaitly. 

To our knowledge not a single print media paper or any other channel except NDTV has referred to Mr. Kuldip Nayar’s visit to Amritsar which in fact was a private visit. Mr. Nayar’s views about BJP and  Narendra Modi are well known which continuously find expression in his writings, though he  does entertain affectionate feelings towards Arun Jaitly for the last about 40 years.  

We the undersigned are pained to read  certain comments  being made against Mr.Nayar in social media  about his  visit to Amritsar  which  in our opinion are distorted, uncalled for, unwarranted and injustice to a person who has all throughout his life been fighting   against communal and  obscurantist forces.

                         N.D.Pancholi (9811099532)       
 20th April,2014   Anil Sinha  (9968777158 )                                  (E-mail:ndpancholi44@gmail.com)