In a candid conversation with Suhel Seth, veteran journalist Karan Thapar delves into the intricate dynamics of his relationship with L.K. Advani, a pivotal figure in Indian politics and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran. In the interview, Thapar reflects on his encounters with Advani in 1998, and shares anecdotes on how Advani always acknowledged his mistakes and even rang up Thapar to apologise for his behaviour.

Below is a transcript of a segment from the interview.

Suhel Seth: Tell me, ironic as it is, you were a great pal of, great friend of, Mr Advani’s. You do know that this whole Babri Masjid, the rath yatra, was all his brainchild. In many ways, people say – I don't say it – but, in many ways, people say that he was the one who sowed the seeds of this 'looking at Muslims differently'. You had no issues with that. Why would you have an issue with [Narendra] Modi?

Karan Thapar: I did have issues with that, if "issues" is the correct way of phrasing it. I remember an interview I did with him in February of 1998. That would have been about six weeks before the BJP came to power for the very first time. I said to him, during an interview, which was conducted at his home: “Aapne rakshas ke sir se seeng ukhaad ke muh pe muskurahat daal diye, lekin badla kya hai?” [You have removed the horns from the demon's head and put a smile on his face. But has anything really changed?]

So what did he say? 

He said absolutely nothing for the first 10 minutes. There was a commercial break, he walked out of the room. Maybe he wanted to have a pee or something, and he didn't return. When he had returned after four or five minutes, I walked up to the next door room and I said what's happened, you haven't come back. And he said but if you think I'm a rakshas, what's the point of talking to me.

I said, “Mr. Advani, that was just a turn of phrase and nothing more. I didn't mean to be offensive. I was simply saying that you are deliberately changing the rakshas image of the BJP into a softer gentler image to make yourself politically more electable.”

He understood and he walked back in. When he sat down he did something for which I would never cease to praise him. He got up from his chair after he sat down and he went to every single member of the crew and he said, "I'm terribly sorry, I made a horrible mistake, forgive me."

Horrible mistake for what?

For having walked out. 

Ah!

He sat down and he continued the interview, and I'll give you one more example. This particular example is from February 1998. [The second example is from] my very first interview with him, [it] would have been in 1990, it was for the pilot episode of 'Eyewitness' [a show that Thapar hosted].

He was the leader of the opposition. He had just finished that famous yatra. I interviewed him for 10 minutes. He was fine, he was happy. He gave me a cup of tea, and I wandered off. Three or four months later, 'Eyewitness' came out and I met him outside Vajpayee's house. Vajpayee lived in Raisina Road in those days. I said, “Oh hello, Mr Advani, how are you? Did you have a chance to see the interview?” He said, “No, I haven't seen the interview, but I gather it was a travesty and I'm not very happy.”

I said, "What was the problem with it?" I said it's exactly as recorded and you were quite happy, you gave me a cup of tea afterwards. Anyway, he walked in, ignored me. I sent him a video of the interview and I said please have a look at it, this is exactly as recorded.

Two months went by, not a word from him, and I said, "Oh, to hell with him, he's not going to ring." And then one day after the elections of 1990, which Narasimha Rao won…

…I got a call in the afternoon and the voice said, “Karan, this is L.K. Advani”. I said, "Yes, Mr Advani?". He says, “You know, you were right and I was wrong. I saw that interview. It's exactly as you said it was. I was misled, I was misinformed, and I am too old at this age to be misinformed. I'm ringing to apologise." And I said to myself, "This is a truly great man." And I was, in those days, utterly unknown. No one knew who the hell Karan was, and yet, he rang up a total stranger and apologised for his behaviour, and I said to myself, "This is a truly great human being." Whatever his politics may be and I may disagree with it, but as an individual, he's remarkable.

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