NIA may quiz journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik

While RSS leaders backed Baba Ramdev aide journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik’s controversial meeting with LeT chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan, the under fire government is planning to quiz him.

According to the some unconfirmed media reports, home ministry has asked National Investigation Agency to question Ved Pratap Vaidik over his connection with Saeed.

 Times of India quoted a senior home ministry official as saying, “Vaidik should be questioned on how he managed to get access to Hafiz Saeed who is protected by the ISI. NIA has the right to question him and a decision on this would be taken in due course. If nothing, the agency would like to know what Saeed said about various things, what are his plans, if any revealed, and what kind of a person (apart from being a terrorist) he is. This would be valuable to investigations. He could be treated as witness as of now, but could turn an accused if something adverse is found.”

Meanwhile calling Indresh Kumar ‘a nationalist’ RSS leader Indresh Kumar yesterday told a TV news agency, “I have seen media reports. A journalist is at liberty to meet anyone he wishes to. Vaidikji is deeply rooted in culture and is a nationalist. Whatever he did he must have done keeping in mind national interest.”

However, on Thursday the incident took a new turn when former external affairs minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid came forward unexpectedly in rescuing the NDA government over this sensitive reports.

“I can speculate, nothing in front of me in the normal course appeared that any special arrangement was being made. We were all at the High Commissioner’s House at the dinner, but that is related to Regional Peace Initiatives and nothing to do with any private initiative,” Khurshid said.

“I know nothing because it all done after we left Pakistan and we had no idea what he did and how he did. This (the issue) was raised in Parliament and the government has said that it will seek a report and keep people informed. This was obviously on a personal initiative of Mr Vaidik which is just coincidental that he was in the delegation,” Khurshid added.

Meanwhile Vaidik has denied that he was not a RSS man as accused by Rahul Gandhi.

The external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has denied allegations of government’s role in arranging the interaction between Vaidik and Saeed. Swaraj has even condemned the incident.

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