In a seemingly well-calculated move to escape the sword of punishment dangling over him after he targeted the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat for attending the marriage ceremony of a son of now expelled BSP leader Mohammad Shahjad, the laksar MlA Sanjay Gupta has raked up the emotive issue of cow slaughter in the State. Reacting to the show cause notice, the MlA said that he would reply to the notice within the stipulated time. He, however, said in the same breath that he has no animosity left in him for the CM. “I was distressed over by the fact that the party leaders went to the residence of a leader who is known for his antipathy for the ideology BJP professes,” he said and cited an instance of Shahjad boasting once that he would offer Namaz at Har Ki Paidi.
latching on to the saffron camp’s professedly fierce opposition to cow slaughter, Gupta said that he feels pained over the despicable practice going on in some areas and slammed the police for not acting against those involved in the heinous act of slaughtering cows.
Observers are of the view that the wily lawmaker from laksar has raised the emotive issue to buttress his critical stand on the CM visiting the residence of Shahjad. The State BJP brass shares the same view that Gupta is trying to win empathy of the party leaders by raking up the issue close to their hearts. “Gupta vented anger over the CM over his managing time to attend the wedding ceremony held in the family of Shahjad where Jhota ( buffalo) Biryani was served. Now, while facing the heat generated by his scathing attack on the CM, he has switched gear and trained his focus on the touchy theme of cow slaughter. It is to be seen whether the switch would thaw the ice for him,” said a BJP insider.
When contacted, the State BJP spokesperson Virendra Singh Bisht said that the party would take action based on the reply to be submitted by Sanjay Gupta. “The party is of the firm view that the leaders should refrain from giving such public statements.”
Speculations rife over possible switch
With speculations swirling in the State’s political arena over his possible switch to either Congress or BJP in the aftermath of his expulsion from BSP, Mohammad Shahjad said on Tuesday that he would reveal the names of those who conspired to oust him from BSP. Shahjad would address a press conference in Dehradun on Wednesday during which he is expected to announce his future course of action. Shahjad was expelled from BSP after CM along with senior cabinet Ministers-Prakash Pant and Madan Kaushik- visited his home, something which sparked a row with a lawmaker training his gun on the CM visiting the leader whose ideological incompatibility with the saffron camp is well-known.