BJP Ministers huddle to counter Opp attack

In the wake of the spate of controversies hitting the Modi Government, the BJP Central leadership on Thursday held a meeting of party spokespersons and members of media relations here to work out a structured response to counter Opposition onslaught on the Vyapam scam and lalitgate among others.

BJP president Amit Shah has set up department of media relations with former senior journalist and Rajya Sabha Member MJ Akbar, National Secretaries Shrikant Sharma, Siddharth Nath Singh, Anil Baluni and ex-journalist Swadesh Verma as its members. A separate department of political feedback and response has also been carved out by Shah to tune the party’s reactions on political issues. 

The spokespersons were briefed by the law officer of Madhya Pradesh on the legalities and technical points involved in the Vyapam case, according to sources. The spokespersons were told that with the State Government agreeing to a CBI probe and Supreme Court asking the agency to carry out the investigation, an unambiguous response should be delivered in media to reject Opposition tirade.

The party would step up its offensive in the case, sources said. This week Dr Anand Rai, a whistle blower in the Vyapam case, was apparently put on defensive by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra by alleging that he was involved in a murder case. The BJP is expecting a tough Monsoon session of Parliament, beginning July 21, with Congress and some other Opposition parties gearing up for their campaign for resignations of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasudhra Raje, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj - allegedly linked with the lalitgate- and that of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan. The Chief Minister has already dismissed Congress demand for his resignation in the Vyapam case. 

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia has claimed that unless Modi Government provides proper response to their demands, the Monsoon session of Parliament would be “a washout”. As against this, the BJP has been “firmly” standing behind its leaders maintaining “no wrong has been done”