Tara Shankar Sahay

While the hijack drama was being played out at Kandahar last year, a political storm was brewing within the country.

The government had decided that External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh would accompany the three released militants to Kandahar. Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani was severely critical of the decision.

Today, though, all that has been "forgotten." Advani, say BJP leaders, in the prime minister's "good books" again, as evidenced by Atal Bihari Vajpayee's spirited defence of the home minister in Parliament last week.

But, last year, things had come to such a pass that Advani had threatened to resign following the ruling party's decision to send Jaswant Singh with the three militants.

The home minister believed that sending the external affairs minister to Kandahar not only lowered India's standing in the international community, but also projected her as a soft State where terrorists could play havoc.

"Yes, there was some disagreement, since Advaniji had not approved of the external affairs minister accompanying the released militants to Kandahar. But that is history now. He is back in Prime Minister Vajpayee's good books, as has been witnessed in last Thursday's (December 14) debate in the Lok Sabha on the Ayodhya issue," said a BJP vice-president who did not wish to to be identified.

The prime minister had staunchly defended his three ministers -- Advani, Human Resources Development Minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Sports Minister Uma Bharti -- chargesheeted in the Babri Masjid demolition case. He was quite particular in his defence of Advani, going so far as to assert that, had they resigned, he would have rejected their resignations.

Vajpayee also made a pointed reference to the home minister and underlined that there was no difference of opinion between them and that the Opposition was living in a fool's paradise if it expected the two leaders to fall apart.

"Advaniji is our senior leader and very much involved in the government's decision-making process. He was the first to go to Bombay during Vajpayeeji's recent knee-surgery. The prime minister has ensured that Advaniji is an integral part of the crucial decisions being taken by the government," asserted senior BJP leader Jagdish Prasad Mathur, who is known for his outspoken views.

Echoing Mathur's statement, senior party leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj pointed out that "the prime minister and home minister are one on all government issues, no matter what the media reports." She pooh-poohed all claims of tension or divergence of views between the two leaders.

A senior BJP leader now in the government pointed out that Advani had been consulted in Rajnath Singh's appointment as Uttar Pradesh chief minister in place of Ram Prakash Gupta, who had been the prime minister's nominee.

"Rajnath Singh's appointment gave us a clear signal that Vajpayeeji had consulted Advaniji. Replacing Guptaji was the best possible alternative for our party, which will soon face polls in the state," the BJP vice-president pointed out.

He contended the fact that Gupta stepped aside for Singh at the home minister's insistence showed Advani's "clout with the prime minister."

BJP sources also referred to Advani's comprehensive role in the installation of the BJP-led government in Jharkhand and in Babulal Marandi's choice as its chief minister.

Significantly, Advani had flown down to Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, for Marandi's swearing-in ceremony. In a brief interaction with reporters, Advani pointed out that the BJP leadership had succeeded in installing its government despite attempts by Opposition forces to stall them.

BJP leaders are now trying to downplay Advani's role during the hijack crisis. They are also trying to quell rumours that Jaswant Singh had been projected as Vajpayee's protégé after Advani had distanced himself from the government's decision to release the three hostages.

"Much water has flowed in the Jamuna ever since Advaniji's criticism was highlighted in the media during the hijack crisis. Now," says the BJP vice-president, "he is as powerful as they come."

The Hijack: One Year On