The undercurrent of discontentment against “not giving due place” to senior leaders in the  Cabinet formation has led to open criticism from BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, who is questioning the unstated cut-off age of 75 set for the Ministers in the Modi Cabinet.

“I don’t agree with 75 years as the cut-off age. Experience and ability can go together. There are senior leaders in the party who are sharper than the 45-year-old Minister but due to some reasons they don’t have the post they deserved,” Sinha said.Speaking about the BJP veterans — like lK Advani (86) and Murli Manohar Joshi (80) — and their contribution to the party, Sinha said they are capable of holding any post.

The other senior BJP leaders, 75 or above, who could not get into the Cabinet include former Union Minister Shanta Kumar (Himachal Pradesh) and former Uttarakhand CM Bhagat Singh Koshiary. Najma Heptullah (74), inducted as Minority Affairs Minister, has escaped ‘the cut-off’ by one year.

Sinha (67), who served as Union Minister during Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, disputed fixing such an age bar. “Instead of age, the criteria shall be mental alertness and health... Even at the age of 86, Advaniji has a sharp memory and energy like a 40-year-old,” said Sinha, a BJP MP from Patna Sahib, Bihar, who has time and again described Advani as his “political guru”.

“Who can question the mental alertness and physical activities of Advani or Murli Manohar JoshiIJ” he asked, adding that for successfully running rich experience of members in necessary.“There are people who are dull and lethargic at 50,” adds Sinha.He said, it was a well known fact that for an average person the political career starts at 50. “To curtail the political career at 75 means one has only 25-year career span in politics.”.

However, he did not question  the decision of allotting posts to the leaders. “As a worker and member of the party, I will not question the collective decision made by the Parliamentary Board of the party,” he said.