NEW DELHI: Disgruntled BJP MP Udit Raj on Wednesday joined the Congress after which he attacked the saffron party for ‘cheating’ the Dalits. The Dalit leader met Congress President Rahul Gandhi before he was officially inducted in the party. The BJP had replaced Raj, who joined the party before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, with Punjabi Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans in the North West Delhi constituency. After joining the Congress, Raj said he will not be contested and will focus on campaigning for the party.
He alleged that the BJP denied him ticket despite his outstanding performance in the Lok Sabha for raising his voice against the government following the Supreme Court order against the strict provisions of the Dalit Atrocities Act and for opposing BJP’s stand on Sabarimala.
“I wanted to join the Congress way back in 2013-14 and even Rahul Gandhiji has several times in Parliament told me that I am in the wrong party. I would have stayed in BJP if I would have got the ticket, but they cheated the Dalits of the country. BJP wants Dalit vote, not a Dalit leader,” said Raj. He further claimed that only those people survive who don’t raise their voice against the top BJP leadership.
Later, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said Raj’s decision to exit clearly showed what his intention was and he should take a lesson from East Delhi MP Maheish Girri.“Raj was only concerned about himself. Our party’s is ideology is country first, party next and self last but for Raj, the policy is me first, party next, and the country last. Raj should learn from Girri, who accompanied East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Gautam Gambhir to file nomination despite that he was denied ticket and Gambhir nominated in his place,” Khurana said.