NEW DELHI: Senior leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi hit back at Tilak Raj Kataria, a councillor from Shalimar Bagh ward, who had resigned from the party on Wednesday. Terming his decision ‘unjustified’, they said the Kataria was given due respect and positions, which he deserved.
Kataria, former vice president of Delhi BJP, tendered his resignation after he wasn’t nominated for the mayor’s post in North Delhi Municipal Corporation. He said he was being ignored by the party constantly.
A senior party functionary, privy to the matter, said only one councillor had suggested his candidature for the mayor’s post during a feedback exercise initiated by state leadership.The BJP has 66 councillors in North Corporation.
“Kataria himself had said that he would abide by the leadership’s decision and the party must take a call. He didn’t ask for any position hence his allegations are untrue and baseless. In the first year of his term as councillor, he was appointed the chairman of the standing committee and later he was Leader of House for consecutive terms. The leaders of his age are not being given tickets. On the contrary, he was nominated to contest the poll and also given key positions in the civic body,” he said. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Kumar Gupta also expressed his displeasure over his decision.
“Kataria’s decision is totally uncalled for. A person doesn’t get a position every time. I was also not given any post when my term of the mayorship was over. It is a process. Many leaders don’t get posts,” he said.
However, Kataria claimed that he was promised a constitutional post but ignored hence resigned. On party leaders’ assertion about a single recommendation for his candidature, Kataria said some were trying to save their skin.
“I can prove who all had proposed my name for the post. The councillors, called for the feedback, were constantly in touch with me. They were continuously sending details of their conservation with the people appointed for recording responses,” he said.