Hours after Pramod Muthalik, the controversial chief of Sri Ram Sene, was admitted into the BJP at Hubli, the party on Sunday reversed its decision following criticism of the move in public, social media as well as within the party.
Senior BJP leader and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar disapproved the move saying he should not have been taken into the party. “They shouldn’t do it, his membership should be cancelled. I have asked central leadership that he should not be allowed to join, and his membership should be cancelled,” said Parrikar.
linked with the attack on women at a pub in Mangalore in 2009, Muthalik was welcomed to the BJP at Hubli on Sunday. State party president Prahalad Joshi, former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa were present at the function.
But within hours, the BJP leadership stopped Muthalik’s entry to the party. A brief Press statement issued in the evening by S Prakash, media coordinator of the BJP in Karnataka, stated “due to various reasons induction of Pramod Muthalik has been put on hold by State president Prahlad Joshi under central directives”. Earlier, Muthalik said he joined the BJP with the objective of ensuring that Narendra Modi becomes the next Prime Minister.
The Right-wing leader created controversy when his outfit ‘Sri Rama Sene’ ransacked pub in Mangalore in 2009 and beat-up youngsters -- women and men -- charging them of behaving in an “obscene manner”. Arrested after the incident, he claimed that his forum wanted to “protect women”. Then Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had disassociated with Sri Ram Sene saying the outfit had “nothing to do” with the BJP or the RSS.
The BJP had accused him of misusing Modi’s name for raising funds. Muthalik’s entry into the party could have helped BJP lok Sabha candidates especially in border district of Belgaum and nearby, as he was trusted to bring together people divided on the language issue under one roof of ‘Hindutva plank’.
The Congress lashed out at the BJP’s move saying that its leaders, including Sushma Swaraj have been talking about women’s empowerment but their party was now “glaringly opposing women’s emancipation”.
Party leader Ambika Soni said people should send a firm message in the coming election that “any party which honours, appeases people who publicly violate the self respect and dignity of women are not going to be tolerated”.