As the offer of support by controversial politician Gopal Kanda, who is facing nine criminal cases, including a case of abetment to suicide, triggered widespread criticism from the Opposition and within the saffron party, the BJP on Friday distanced itself from Kanda.
Before the BJP and the Dushyant Chautala-led JJP inked a deal to form a coalition Government in Haryana, Kanda had emerged as a possible kingmaker for the BJP. However, the BJP-JJP’s deal appears to have made his “unconditional support” offer reduntant.
The BJP won only 40 seats in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, short of at least six legislators to form the next Government.
The businessman-turned-politician and the lone elected MLA from his Haryana Lokhit Party Kanda, who played a key role in the formation of Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress Government in Haryana in 2009, on Thursday evening extended his support to the BJP after a meeting with the party leadership in New Delhi.
Reports that the BJP had deputed its Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal to escort Kanda to Delhi on Thursday for talks triggered an outrage with many accusing the party of “hypocrisy”.
Apparently on the defensive, senior BJP leaders on Friday ensured that they were not seen with Kanda even as other Independent MLAs were seen moving in and out of Nadda's residence after announcing their support to the saffron party.
Kanda has won from the Sirsa Assembly constituency defeating Independent candidate Gokul Setia, while his brother Govind was defeated by INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala’s estranged brother Ranjit Singh.
Kanda’s statement of extending support to the BJP along with other seven Independents attracted sharp reactions on Friday with the leaders from BJP itself, Congress, Shiv Sena and other parties criticising the saffron party to join hands with a tainted figure.
Kanda’s controversial past includes allegations that a car owned by him was used in committing a rape, that his security guards beat up a national-level cricketer and that he harassed a young woman to the point of suicide.
He is an accused in two cases related to abetment of suicide and is on a criminal trial, currently out on bail. In his affidavit, he had declared nine criminal cases against himself. The cases included abetment of suicide (Sec 306), forgery for purpose of cheating (Sec 468), criminal breach of trust by public servant or by banker, merchant or agent (Sec 409), criminal intimidation (Sec 506), causing disappearance of evidence of offence (Sec 201), forgery of record of Court or of public register (Sec 466), forgery of valuable security, will etc (Sec 467) among others.
Also, Kanda is the third richest legislator elected to the 90-member Haryana Assembly this time. The controversial legislator had declared assets worth Rs 95 crore. He is also an MLA with highest liabilities i.e. 78 crore.
In the Congress Government he had bagged the coveted Home portfolio for favouring Hooda.
Among the controversies that haunted Kanda during his tenure included a car owned by him allegedly used in a rape in 2010, his security men allegedly beat up national-level cricketer Atul Wassan in 2011 for overtaking the Minister’s convoy.
While he continued with his coveted portfolio and managed to escape these controversies unscathed, Kanda was finally arrested in August 2012 after a former air-hostess with his MDLR airlines committed suicide accusing him of harassment. In 2013, the air hostess’ mother too committed suicide and left a suicide note.
Kanda is still facing a trial in the case. He, however, claimed of being framed in the case.
In 2007, he had launched the MDLR airlines, named after father Murli Dhar Lakh Ram. But the MDLR had a short flight and was grounded within two years.
Currently, Kanda’s Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited is into Casino business in Goa.
Talking to the mediapersons, Kanda on Friday said he was framed in the abetment to suicide case and has done nothing wrong.
On his support to the BJP, he said he along with other seven Independents have extended support to the BJP, considering the development works undertaken by the party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The development, however, did not go down well with senior leaders in BJP and opposition.
Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Uma Bharti, through her Twitter account made an appeal to her party to not forget its moral goals
“I have learnt that BJP can get support of Gopal Kanda who is an Independent MLA. If he is the same person whose name had come up in the suicide of a girl then the case is before the court and the MLA is out on bail. It is for the court to decide whether he is innocent or not but his election victory does not make him innocent. I would request BJP that we should not forget our core beliefs. We should form government in Haryana but we should take support of clean image,” tweeted Bharati.
The Congress was also quick to respond with party leader Randeep Surjewala saying the Congress had removed Kanda when he was a Minister in the previous Hooda Government and how the BJP is now roping him in now to stay in power.
Congress leader Sushmita Dev has written a letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah asking what happened to BJP’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign.
The BJP’s ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena also attacked the former for seeking Kanda’s support. Shiv Sena spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi took to Twitter and said, “Women are near 50 per cent of India’s population, they have been coming out in large numbers to vote, women are stakeholders in parties that come to power. If we disregard their sentiments & sacrifice it at the altar of politics & power, there’s a price that will have to be paid in due course.”
In fact, Twitterati pointed out the irony of a “rape accused” emerging kingmaker for a party that started the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign.