Justifying his action, he said, 'the book is not meant to be read, so I decided to consign it to flames and that is what it deserves.'

When it was pointed out that the former finance and defence minister's own party had distanced itself from the book, Tiwari said: 'That criticism could not be relied upon because BJP leaders were by habit double-faced.

'In the past also, when L.K. Advani went to Pakistan and showered praise on Jinnah, he was lambasted by his party insiders, who themselves later projected him as PM-in- waiting.'