The suspension of Kirti Azad from the BJP sparked protest as his supporters in his lok Sabha constituency Darbhanga on Thursday staged demonstrations and burned the effigies of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
Enraged over suspension of three-term MP Azad from the party for his alleged anti-party activities when he demanded CBI inquiry into irregularities in DDCA of which Jaitley was president for a long period, a large number of his supporters spread out at important locations, including Donar and laheriasarai Tower in Darbhanga raising slogans against Jaitley and Modi and demanding immediate withdrawal of the suspension.
Darbhanga district vice-president of the BJP Baidyanath Yadav and general secretary Arun Kumar Singh, while addressing the protesters, said they would continue the agitation till suspension of Azad was revoked. The supporters raised the slogan, “Kirti tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain.”
Meanwhile, party’s vice-president and Rajya Sabha member CP Thakur disapproved the statement of former Deputy CM Sushil Modi favouring action against Azad and other BJP MPs whose on and off statements brought embarrassment to the party during and after the election. Though Modi did not name he indirectly referred to Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha, Ara MP Rajkumar Singh and Begusarai MP Bhola Singh. “Some leaders had issued statement during election only to show their opposition and pain but now Modi’s statement is uncalled for,” said Thakur and added that there was no rebellion in the party.
Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi said sometimes there could be feeling against some leader but the views should be expressed within the party forum. JD(U) spokesman Sanjay Singh accused Sushil Modi of humiliating the upper caste leaders in the BJP in bid to establish his supremacy in the party. He said suspension of Azad was an insult to Bihar and sport loving people across the country.