SHIMLA: The BJP has said that senior leader Jaswant Singh’s sacking “was unpleasant but needed”. This was recounted by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj at the close of the three-day Chintan Baithak in Shimla today.

Addressing the media, Swaraj referred the address of L K Advani. She said Advani regarded Jaswant’s sacking as “necessary”.

Jaswant tried to denigrate Sardar Patel, Advani said in his speech at Chintan Baithak. He criticised Jaswant for writing in his book that Sardar Patel banned the RSS.

“For someone who was with us for 30 years it was a difficult decision. What he wrote was against the party policy. Patel was Home Minister of the country for three-and-half years and brought more than 700 principalities into the Indian union. He was no ordinary man and Jaswant tried to denigrate him.” Advani said in his valedictory address at the concluding day of Chintan Baitak. Earlier, on the second day of the meet in Shimla, party leader Arun Jaitely addressed the media to explain why Jaswant Singh was sacked.