BJP motormouths may face action

Lucknow: The BJP has a major problem on its hands in Uttar Pradesh. Some of its ministers, legislators and MPs have turned into the proverbial motor mouths who refuse to toe the line even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warnings.

The party is now preparing dossier on these leaders which will be sent to the party leadership next week. The dossier includes the statements made by these leaders and its possible impact on the party. BJP MP Satish Gautam is the latest to join the bandwagon.  He kicked up a major controversy that led to serious clashes and even a riot-like situation in the Aligarh Muslim University when he demanded that a portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah be removed from the office of the AMU Students’ Union. Former AMU Students’ Union president Faizul Hasan said “Jinnah’s portrait was installed when he was conferred life membership (of the Students’ Union) in 1938. What is the provocation behind making such a demand after almost eight decades?”

UP BJP minister Swami Prasad Maurya further queered the pitch when he claimed that Jinnah was a ‘Maha Purush’ and there was no need to remove his portrait. Mr Maurya’s statement was quickly followed by BJP MP’s Harnath Singh Yadav’s demand for his dismissal from the government and an hour later, Maurya turned around to blame the media for distorting his statement. (Incidentally, Maurya had earlier praised Ms Mayawati regime for its hold on the bureaucracy.)

Not to be left behind, UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, whose middle name is controversy, said “If Maurya is supporting Jinnah then Jinnah must be his relative”.

BJP MLA Surendra Singh is another motor mouth whose statements have been putting the BJP in a piquant situation. The MLA first grabbed headlines when he claimed that India would turn into a Hindu Rashtra by 2024.