Shimla: With the BJP high command looking the other way, infighting in the state unit got intense here on Friday as it openly demanded resignation of rebellious member parliament Rajhan Sushant for venting fire against the state government.
General Secretary of the state unit Chander Mohan Thakur let reporters know here that Sushant outburst against the state government on Wednesday and openly sharing the dais with congress workers was a blatant violation of the party discipline that would not be tolerated.
“The rebellious MP claims to be a senior party functionary,†said Thakur, “but the fact remains that for personal interests Sushant left the party in 1987-88, was taken back and then again walked out in 1996 only to again return to its fold.â€
“If he is so confident about his popularity among the people of Kangra, who he represents in parliament, why does not resign from the party and test his worthiness by seeking a re-election without the BJP symbol,†he added.
Exposing the divide further, the party general secretary recalled that Sushant as an independent up against BJP’s Shanta Kumar in a earlier MP election had lost his security and had got only 8000 votes.
The MP does not participate in party programs but has no qualms about sharing the dais with NSUI state president Yedupatti Thakur, which he did so on Wednesday.
In 2000 also Sushant had led a group of rebellious BJP legislators and hobnobbed with opposition congress members to overthrow the then BJP government, he said.
Referring to the threat held out by the rebellious parliamentarian about making public documents that expose corruption in the state government, Thakur dared Sushant to do so.
“These are only empty threats. If he has any documents to show, what is stopping him doing so? The fact is that he has nothing and the government has nothing to hide,†he said.
When quizzed about why the party had failed to take action against the erring member, he said that the state unit had acted by expelling Sushant from the state working committee.
“Being an MP, expelling him from the party was a decision for the party high commanded to take, said Thakur.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
