Dear Vaidik, what was your intention behind meeting ‘terrorist’ Hafiz Saeed?

A massive outrage has come to fore after senior journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik met Hafiz Saeed, mastermind of 26/ 11 attack in Pakistan. Reportedly a photo has been released on social media in which both are seen engaged in a serious conversation.

Vaidik, Baba Ramdev's close aide himself has admitted that he met the most wanted terrorist Saeed recently during his 20 days visit to Pakistan.

"Yes this photograph was released by me. I have my photo with Nawaz Shareef and other politicians too. I was there for 20 days and met several people there," said the senior scribe.

Justifying the meeting Vaidik said, "Many South Asia Ministers and media know me well. Everybody knows that only by dialogue we can sort out our issues. Violence and terror is not a solution. It is only through dialogue that we can resolve our issues".

In 2012 Mani Shankar Aiyar appeared on a TV talk show with Hafiz Saeed

In the meeting, Lashkar- e- Tayyeba founder Hafiz defended his position and said that both India and US are conspiring against him but he has not done anything wrong on his part.

After hoopla over the issue, Congress has stepped up the ante on Government and asked for a clarification on the issue. Principal opposition party has demanded arrest of Vaidik. However, Government has cleared its position and reiterated that Hafiz Saeed is a dreaded terrorist for India.

Why did he meet a terrorist?

Though senior journalist has defended his decision by saying that as a journalist it is his prerogative to meet anyone and this meeting just a normal one. Nothing more should be concluded from this meeting.

The big question is why did he meet Hafiz Saeed in a surreptitious manner?

He could have sought Government's permission before meeting him. As a journalist he has the right to meet anyone but he can't meet someone who is a big threat to our democracy.

His blatant rebuttal

When he was asked about the propriety of meeting with a man like Saeed who is not only the mastermind of 26/ 11 but also responsible for several others attacks in India, Vaidik said that even former Prime Ministers like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh had in the past met the ex-dictator Pervez Musharraf who was responsible for Kargil conflict in which thousands of Indian soldiers were killed.

Mani Shankar Aiyar had faced flak in 2012

Earlier, similar uproar took place in 2012 when Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shankar Aiyar had appeared on a television talk show with Hafiz Saeed. Although Aiyar had taken firm stand against Saeed saying he should be arrested for his involvement in terrorist attacks on Indian soil, still he was criticised and was reprimanded by the Congress high command on the issue.

"One should avoid public interaction with a man who is involved in actions against humanity and India," Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said.

Hafeez Saeed- the dreaded terrorist

Recently, US tightened its noose around dreaded Saeed when it declared Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as a terrorist organisation. Hafeez-led LeT which was declared a terrorist organisation by US in 2001 was also behind the 2012 attack on Army convoy in Kashmir and several other similar carnages in the State. He is also a perpetrator in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and 2011 Mumbai train bombings. Every second day, LeT founder is found spewing venom against India.

In the backdrop of these issues, veteran journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik's hobnobbing with a terrorist is completely unacceptable. He could have outrightly rejected to meet a man, whose hands are soaked in blood of thousands of innocent Indian lives.

This is a serious issue and Prime Minister must take cognizance of the whole matter.