Raghuwar's combat

Das’ anti-MNS protest strokes discipline issue

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Saturday, November 15, 2008

BJP, the party with a difference, showed its difference again bringing once again the internal bickering of the party to fore in Jharkhand.

The protest march led by the firebrand BJP leader and Jamshedpur East MLA, Raguwar Das, on Wednesday before CM House over alleged silence of the State Government for not granting compensation to the family of deceased-- who lost their lives during MNS sponsored backlash in Maharashtra has sparked off a controversy.

A section of leaders backed by the bete-noire of Das blamed him for not informing the party and its president Pashupati Nath Singh before taking on such programmes and staged a demonstration at party office besides submitting a memorandum against Das demanding disciplinary actions against the MLA.

Adding fuel to the fire, PN Singh while interacting with the media on that day declined that Das ever informed the party about his decision to hold such a programme.

Now Das has come forward to counter the claim of Singh. While terming it flippant, Das said: "I had made my intention clear on October 31 at a Press conference and informed the party president accordingly." He even claimed that Leader of Opposition Arjun Munda was also informed about this.

Speaking further Das claimed to have informed the party president during Diwali meet of the party workers in Dhanbad which was "attended by former MP Rita Verma, Ashoka Mandal and thousands of party workers besides Singh, who also took part in it."

"I tried to contact the State BJP president on his mobile and ultimately requested his personal secretary to inform Singh about my programme hence he can not feign ignorance about this," Das buttressed his stand. Daring his opponent to seek his head, Das further said: "If raising issues of public importance is the violation of party discipline...than I am ready to face the axe, let others go to public and justify this."

However, now Singh has adopted a different posture on this and refused to comment calling it "an internal matter of the party and it unbecoming for a party president to breach discipline."

Requesting the media not to make a mountain out of mole and refrain from pursuing this matter further, Singh said: "I do not know what media wants? This is an internal matter of the party and I would not disclose whether the party was informed about the programme or not...I am not obliged to inform the Press about this."