BJP leaders give Jaswant book launch a miss

While fellow authors, defence experts and diplomats were present for the launch of Jaswant Singh's 'A Call of Honour' on Thursday evening, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders chose to stay away from the function.

The only prominent politicians from the party were Arif Mohammad Khan and Maneka Gandhi.

"My father is in Bhubaneshwar and hence he couldn't come to attend the function," Pratibha Advani, who was present, told rediff.com.

Senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad had invited the media and other prominent leaders of the party to his house for Teej festival. Sushma Swaraj, Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Arun Jaitley too decided to stay away from the function.

Among others who were present were C Raja Ram, former Indian Ambassador to USA Naresh Chandra, Sir Mark Tully, Bharat Karnad, defence and foreign affairs expert Maj Gen (retired) Ashok Mehta and former Reserve Bank of India governor Dr Bimal Jalan.