Sushma’s isolation continues
Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj continues to be isolated within the party over her remarks that she was satisfied with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement over CVC appointment issue. After Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, it’s now the turn of BJP chief Nitin
Gadkari to oppose Ms Swaraj’s remarks. Endorsing Mr Jaitley’s line, Mr Gadkari said that the party was not satisfied with PM’s reply and would continue to raise the issue of P.V. Thomas’s appointment as the CVC despite a pending criminal case against him. Mr Thomas’s appointment was quashed by the Supreme Court recently.
“The CVC issue is not finished as yet. We are not satisfied with PM’s reply and will fight this issue by taking it before the people’s court,” Mr Gadkari said. When asked whether what he had said was the party’s official stand or there was some rift within the party over the issue, especially after Mr Swaraj’s statement, Mr Gadkari emphasised. “I am the party chief and what I have said is the party’s official line (on the issue.) He also denied any contradiction in Ms Swaraj and Mr Jaitley’s statement on the issue.
It could be mentioned that after Dr Singh’s statement in Jammu saying he accepted his responsibility over Mr Thomas’s appointment, Ms Swaraj had asked the issue to rest saying “it was enough”. However, Mr Jaitley had sought more explanation from the PM on the issue. In its reaction, the BJP had said that it wanted a “structured response” in Parliament from Dr Singh and “just a casual comment on owing responsibility was not enough”. Mr Gadkari also attacked the UPA government on corruption and price rise issue and said the BJP will launch a “jansangharsh” on these issue from April 6 till June 15. He also attacked the government on black money issue. He claimed `22,000 lakh crores was stashed away at offshore tax havens but the government is doing little about it. The party will also be organising marathons, highlighting the issues.
Mr Gadkari also claimed BJP parliamentary party chairman L.K. Advani did not compromise party’s campaign on the black money issue by apologising to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. He said it was a “normal courtesy” and was done in “good faith”.
“He (Advani) only expressed regret over the hurt it (party’s task force report on black money issue) caused her. There was nothing wrong by expressing regret. It has not done any harm to our cause,” Mr Gadkari claimed.
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