BJP asks Shourie for explanation on his remarks (Second Lead)
August 25th, 2009 - 10:40 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership was divided over initiating disciplinary action against senior leader Arun Shourie, who Monday created a flutter by calling his party a “kati patang (a kite adrift)” and its chief Rajnath Singh “Humpty Dumpty,” the BJP Tuesday sought his explanation for his adverse remarks.
“The party has taken cognizance of Mr. Shourie’s remarks and the party would be seeking a clarification…This is not a show-cause notice,” BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy told IANS.
Earlier at an evening meeting of the BJP general secretaries chaired by Rajnath Singh, one section advocated action against Shourie and the other sought a middle path.
Party leaders who were crying for Shourie’s head till Tuesday morning were tightlipped.
“There were two opinions at the general secretaries’ meeting. One, he should be sacked just like Jaswant Singh. The other was that the party could not just go on a sacking spree and must address the real issues,” a BJP leader told IANS.
“At the same time, to ensure a wrong message did not go out, the party may decide to issue Shourie a show-cause notice and the leadership may hold personal meetings with him,” the source said, pleading anonymity since he is not authorised to speak to media on internal party issues.
Shourie, upset over the way the BJP is being run, has urged the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the party’s ideological parent, to take greater control of the BJP.
“The way he (Shourie) went out in public about the party’s internal issues is unfortunate,” Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP vice-president, told IANS earlier in the day.
“If somebody has grievances, there are enough forums within the party for their redressal. Talking about party leadership in public is indiscipline.”
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy Monday said: “I am sure he wants action against himself. He wants to become a martyr.”
Shourie told IANS: “This is what great leaders like Rudy can think and all this is rubbish.”
The BJP has been in a crisis since its leader and Lok Sabha member Jaswant Singh was sacked over a book he wrote, contending that Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, had been demonised in India.
- Indo-Asian News Service
ma-brij/dd/vt
- BJP leadership divided over rebel Arun Shourie (Lead) - Aug 25, 2009
- BJP action against Arun Shourie likely Tuesday - Aug 25, 2009
- BJP in ferment after Shourie calls it 'kati patang' - Aug 24, 2009
- Rajnath Singh is "Humpty Dumpty", RSS should takeover BJP: Shourie - Aug 24, 2009
- BJP in ferment after Shourie calls it 'kati patang' (Lead) - Aug 24, 2009
- BJP leaders meet to discuss Shourie's remarks - Aug 25, 2009
- Rajnath Singh unlikely to expel Shourie: BJP sources - Aug 26, 2009
- BJP issues show-cause notice to Arun Shourie - Aug 25, 2009
- Yashwant prefers silence this time (Lead) - Aug 26, 2009
- Yashwant mum on furore in BJP - Aug 26, 2009
- BJP may expel Arun Shourie? - Aug 25, 2009
- All is well with BJP, claims Rajnath Singh - Aug 26, 2009
- Porngate unfortunate, say BJP leaders (Second Lead) - Feb 08, 2012
- No action against Jaswant: BJP - Jun 12, 2009
- UP results will cast shadow on central government: BJP - Mar 06, 2012
Tags: bharatiya janata party, bjp leader, bjp leadership, cognizance, disciplinary action, grievances, humpty dumpty, jaswant singh, kati patang, martyr, middle path, naqvi, party leaders, party leadership, personal meetings, rajiv pratap, rashtriya swayamsevak sangh, secretaries, spokesperson, tuesday morning
