As apprehended earlier, the State Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj has taken a sweet revenge of his ‘humiliation’ that happened some days ago while citing the incident of garbage being dumped in front of his ashram in Haridwar in the presence of the BJP national president Amit Shah in Dehradun on Tuesday.
Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that while the PM is tirelessly campaigning for Swachchh Bharat Mission a few people who claim to be his followers had dirtied his ashram, making thus a mockery of the PM’s mission.
At the same time, he reminded Shah that he is bringing investments to the tune of billions of rupees for the ministry he is heading. Observers say that the high profile spiritual leader-turned politician has made it amply clear to the party president on the first day of his two day trip that all is not well in the state party unit.
Notably, an unsavoury incident had happened last month when the Haridwar Municipal Corporation Mayor along with his supporters had allegedly manhandled the inmates of Maharaj’s ashram in Haridwar.
Consequently, the Mayor had been admitted to a local hospital and later referred to one based in Dehradun with his followers claming that he had been thrashed by the inmates of the ashram. In a fit of anger, the Mayor loyalists had dumped garbage in front of the ashram.
Things had not ended with this as the aftermath of the clash had seen two heavyweight Ministers (Satpal Maharaj and Madan Kaushik) locking horns.
As the factional bickering within the ruling party had come into the open Congress, floudering in the wilderness following the crushing electoral blow, had pounced upon BJP with alacrity with no less than the former Chief Minister Harish Rawat leading the party’s charge from the front.
To further embarsass the saffron camp, a former CM and MP from Haridwar Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and MlA kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, one of the inductees from Congress, strated tearing into each other. This was followed by the activists of BJP’s student affiliate ABVP storming into the ashram of Haridwar Rural MlA Swami Yatishwaranand after the wing tasted defeat in the student union election at a college.
BJP insiders say that the party President’s two-day trip might not bode well for the present dispensation with as many as 65 people having sent suggestions about how the party can be better run in view of the 2019 general election, a move that amounts to ventilation of grievances against the way the Government and the party are being run.
Shah on his part exhorted the leaders and the activists to take up the party works in the spirit of service to the nation. He also thanked them for sending suggestions for the better running of the party. He further said that the party has appointed caretakers for the Assembly as well as at the district and the State levels. They are senior leaders with whom they can share their grievances, he said.
Observers say that the gesture of Shah giving opportunity to the party leaders to vent out their grievances to him should spawn a spirit of introspection within the State unit leaders who are not as open as they should be.