Sting op rocks Maha BJP, MlA embarrasses party

At a time when it is grappling with an alleged procurement scam involving its Minister Pankaja Munde, the ruling Maharashtra BJP on Friday faced another embarrassment. A television sting operation showed one of its senior-most legislators, Raj Purohit, questioning the style of functioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party’s national president Amit Shah and claiming that the business community was drifting away from the party because of its unfriendly policies.

Responding to a query as to whether he subscribed to the public perception that PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had become two power centres in the country, Purohit said: “There is nothing wrong in people having such a perception. Democracy has become meaningless now (within the party). There is nothing like collective leadership in the BJP… It is a fraud.. We talk about taking every one along. But, nothing of sort happens in reality. A handful of people take decisions”.

In a sting operation on him aired by several regional channels, five-time BJP MlA Purohit said: “Narendra Modi does a good work. But mistakes should not happen. Because of such mistakes, sections of people are drifting away from the party. Take the case of business community members. They have been BJP’s hardcore supporters. They had a lot of expectations from this Government. But, what kind of law you make now. You need a pan card to purchase gold worth more than `1 lakh”.

Taking serious cognizance of the controversy over the sting operation involving Purohit, Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Patil Danve said that the party would look into the matter and if need be initiate action against the senior legislator. “I have not seen the CD myself. I have just arrived from Nagpur. I have called or it. Before taking a decision, we will examine the sting operation CD,” Patil-Danve said.

In the sting operation, Purohit also accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of having nexus with the builders’ lobby, a lobby represented by his party colleague and MlA Mangal Prabhat lodha.  “He ( lodha) used money power and prevented me from becoming  a Minister....I am among the senior-most Ministers.. Probably next only to (Revenue Minister) Eknath Khadse... Injustice has been done to me,” Purohit said.