Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The BJP legislators were imparted training on speaking with caution and advised to change their conduct. After Hemant Khandelwal took over as the state party president, he also advised the party legislators, who often courted controversies by issuing statements, to keep away from it.
But the training and the state leadership’s advice to the party legislators have hardly had any impact on them. The party leadership has expressed anger at the statement of Guna legislator Pannalal Shakya about the civil war-like situation in the country.
Shakya has compared India’s political condition with that of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The BJP leaders continuously say that the country is progressing with the slogan ‘Sabka Saath Saab Ka Vikas’ under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But Shakya has said India’s internal condition is bad.
Before Shakya, Narendra Kushwaha tried to beat up the collector of Bhind. After the incident, the party organisation advised Kushwaha to keep away from such activities. Even before the din over the matter settled down, Shakya issued a controversial statement.
Despite advice by the party leadership, the BJP legislators gave debatable statements on earlier occasions. BJP legislators Preetam Lodhi, Brijbihari Pateriya, and Pradeep Patel are regularly issuing controversial statements.
In charge of the BJP’s state media cell, Ashish Agarwal said the party disagreed with Shakya’s statement. The party leadership took cognisance of his statement, he said, adding that the country is safe under the Prime Minister’s leadership.
A leader of the BJP said since the party did not act strongly against those who gave controversial statements, there was no control over it. The legislators are pulled up, but as there is no action against such MLAs, the situation remains the same, he said.
