|
Gadkari as president? Rift in BJP widens
Tuesday November 06, 2012 06:30:45 PM,
IANS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Delhi: BJP leaders
went into a huddle Tuesday as the internal rift over party
president Nitin Gadkari widened with more demands for his ouster
while the man in the proverbial centre of the growing storm said
sorry for comparing Swami Vivekananda to Dawood Ibrahim.
Gadkari has been facing the heat over alleged involvement of a
company linked to him in questionable business deals and remarks
Monday comparing the IQ levels of spiritual guru Vivekananda and
fugitive don Dawood.
On Tuesday, the pressure for his ouster mounted with outspoken MP
Ram Jethmalani saying that senior leaders Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant
Singh and Shatrughan Sinha were with him in wanting Gadkari to
step down.
"We four are of clear view that a resignation of Gadkari is
necessary," Ram Jethmalani said, adding that he had also written a
letter to party veteran L.K. Advani calling for the immediate
resignation of Gadkari.
"... We are unanimous in our views and I have no doubt about it.
They have not expressed them publicly and I hope they will express
soon," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
The day before, his son Mahesh Jethmalani had quit the national
executive of the party over Gadkari continuing as party chief.
The demands for Gadkari's resignation forced the party leadership
into a series of separate meetings involving Advani, Gadkari as
well as Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.
Party insiders said S. Gurmurthy, considered close to the
Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS), also met some Bharatiya Janata
Party leaders. Later in the evening, the top leadership will meet
to study the developments.
Informed sources said Ram Jethmalani's demands for Gadkari's
ouster found resonance in sections of the party that felt that his
continuing as president would rob the BJP of the moral high ground
on corruption in the winter session of parliament beginning Nov
22.
The choice of next president is also crucial for the BJP as the
leader will see the party through a string of assembly polls next
year and the 2014 Lok Sabha ballot.
Besides, the party is in the middle of campaigning for the crucial
Gujarat assembly polls in December and questions are likely to be
raised by the Congress concerning Gadkari.
Gadkari did not go for the second round of campaigning in the just
concluded Himachal Pradesh elections.
A party leader said on the condition of anonymity that the
troubles faced by Gadkari have provided an opportunity for senior
leaders of the party to position themselves as candidates for the
president's post.
Gadkari, who had Monday denied ever comparing Vivekananda and
Dawood, on Tuesday expressed regret for doing so.
"I would like to reiterate that I never compared Swami Vivekananda
with anyone. I had absolutely no intention to project Swami
Vivekananda in bad light. If my words about Swami Vivekananda have
hurt the public sentiments in any manner, I express my sincere
regrets," Gadkari said.
"My personal reverence for Swami Vivekananda is second to none. In
that context I had referred to Swami Vivekananda dedicating his
intellect for the welfare of humanity. I am deeply pained to note
that my words have been taken out of context to create confusion,"
he reiterated.
Sushma Swaraj, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, came out
with a clarification.
"The media reports that I am not supporting Nitin Gadkari are
absolutely false. I have always supported him and I reiterate my
support," she said.
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
I |
|
|
|
|
More Headlines |
|
We will 'socially engineer' votes away from
Modi: Gordhan Zadaphia |
|
'God's money' not for advertisements: Himachal court |
|
These Indian, African young entrepreneurs dared to be different |
|
Eyeing 2014, BJP in Uttar Pradesh bends
'backwards' |
|
Electricity load shedding - Blessing for
Powerloom weavers? |
|
Yashwant, Jaswant also want Gadkari to quit: Ram Jethmalani |
|
Almost 400 MNCs have their Asia HQs in
Shanghai |
|
NCP grooming Ajit Pawar as next CM |
|
Missing: Muslims' thirst for knowledge |
|
Atrocities against Dalits rising in Haryana:
Panel |
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
America heads to cliffhanger at polls
Americans are preparing to head to the polls Tuesday to elect the
next US president, while Democratic incumbent Barack Obama and
Republican challenger Mitt Romney hit the campaign trail for a
furious final »
Obama, Romney in final blitz to sway voters
in tied race
Obama or Romney: Who is
likely to win White House?
Five Indian-Americans in the race for US Congress
169 million voters in America's $6 billion
election
|
|
|
|
Most Read |
|
 Yashwant, Jaswant also want Gadkari to quit: Ram Jethmalani
Senior BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant
Singh and Shatrughan Sinha were with him in wanting party
president »
Upset,
Mahesh Jethmalani quits BJP national executive
|
|
Eyeing 2014, BJP in Uttar Pradesh bends
'backwards'
Is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bending 'backwards', literally, in
Uttar Pradesh to realize its national political ambitions? They
are tailoring an "all inclusive" major action plan to pitchfork
its backward caste leaders as they undertake a major campaign in
the country's most populous state »
|
|
|
|
News Pick |
|
 Electricity load shedding - Blessing for
Powerloom weavers?
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s announcement that the state
will be ‘load shedding free’ by the end of 2012 may appear as a
new-year gift
»
|
|
Syrian scholars seek support for struggle
against brutal regime
More than 30 delegates
representing the Syrian opposition have performed Haj this year as
guests of the Muslim World League (MWL).
Speaking to the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), the
delegates
»
|
|
India, Saudi Arabia agree to discuss labour
issues
After a
delay of over eight months, Saudi Arabia and India Monday agreed
to discuss issues relating to the over two million Indian
labourers working in the Gulf nation and also to sign agreements
in this »
Finding last resting place for Indians in
Gulf: Vayalar Ravi
|
|
 Naipaul
has no idea of Muslim contribution to India: Girish Karnad
Referring to the analysis of Indian
culture and music by certain Indologists, Karnad said the whole
matrix was already there — the foreigners came
»
|
|
|
|
Picture of the Day |
|
 |
|
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari,
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and other dignitaries at a
prayer meeting at the Samadhi of former Prime Minister, Late
Mrs. Indira Gandhi, on her death anniversary, at Shakti Sthal,
in Delhi on October 31, 2012. |
|
|
|
Recommend the story to
your friends |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
Quick links