NEW DELHI: With in-house discontent brewing over the induction of tainted BSP man Babu Singh Kushwaha into BJP, the party on Friday reiterated that his entry into its fold would not give him legal immunity and law would take its own course.
The party also reasserted that he would not be fielded in the upcoming elections.
The BJP had to face growing in-house protests over the move, with Aonla MP and Maneka Gandhi joining the ranks of Yogi Adityanath and Kirti Azad in raising objections against Kushwaha’s induction into the party.
“The party was not consulted on this move. The former BSP man should not have been taken into the party,” Maneka said. BJP leader Nitin Gadkari is said to be in touch with the dissenting voices and impressing upon them on why Kushwaha’s induction “was not an ill-thought out decision”. “Kushwaha’s induction into the party “was not a hasty move”, and the move was a well-considered one, said party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday. She stressed that the party had given a voice to OBCs by its move - the former BSP leader is known to have a following among
Kushwahas, Mauryas, Shakyas and Sainis (all OBC communities in the state).
“Kushwaha represents a very backward class community. He has come into the party and we have welcomed him... SP, BSP, and the Congress are not serving the MBCs.
They are engaged in minority appeasement while OBCs feel that their rights are being taken away,” Sitharaman said. “There is a pattern emerging in which the OBCs are being denied their due,” she added, indicating that “minority appeasement was coming at the cost of legitimate rights of the OBCs”.
“Kushwaha’s induction into the BJP is no immunity to him from the law. We have not said we will be giving him cover. Law will take its course,” Sitharaman said.
Another party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Kushwaha would not be offered any party post and that he would not be fielded in state elections.