NEW DELHI: In the midst of the Bihar Assembly elections, BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday summoned top party members and ministers whose statements had added fuel to fire after the Dadri lynching incident, reportedly to convey the “extreme displeasure” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over their comments.
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had to distance itself from an article published in its mouthpiece Panchajanya, which claimed that the Dadri lynching could not have happened without provocation by the victim and that the Vedas mandate killing of those who slaughter cows.
There was a parade of leaders, who had made controversial statements, to the office of Shah – Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan, MP Sakshi Maharaj and Uttar Pradesh MLA Sangeet Som.
According to party sources, the leaders were “reprimanded” by Shah as their controversial statements threatened to “derail” the “positive agenda” of the Modi government. “Khattar, Balyan, Sakshi and Som were summoned to Shah’s office and were reprimanded in person for their controversial utterances as because of these the positive agenda of the government could get derailed,” said a senior office-bearer.
Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Mahesh Sharma, who didn’t appear in person, faced rebuke over phone.
The “message” that was conveyed was the “leaders should desist from making statements that create unnecessary controversy”. This was especially buttressed by taking the name of the PM who has expressed “extreme displeasure”, added sources.
Shah told the leaders that by making the remarks, they had turned the spotlight on the BJP rather than the State government which was “essentially” at fault for the Dadri lynching incident. “Modiji is extremely upset over these controversies,” said party functionaries.
The ‘message’ that was conveyed was the leaders should desist from making statements that create unnecessary controversy