Differences in BJP over Rahul

The BJP today spoke in different voices on Rahul Mahajan's incarceration, even as the party appeared to be softening its stand on the matter.

Senior leaders Kalraj Mishra and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi visited Mahajan at the Tughlaq Road police station, asserting that belonging to the "party with a difference does not mean washing hands of the family of any worker or leader in their hour of crisis."

This comes after repeated assertions by party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj that the BJP was not concerned with the matter.

Meanwhile, Mahajan has been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody at the end of two-day police custody.

In a surprise show of solidarity, Naqvi, who is BJP's national vice-president, drove to the Tughlaq Road police station along with the party's senior Uttar Pradesh leader Kalraj Mishra and spent a few minutes with Rahul.

"We went to enquire about his well-being and wish him good luck in overcoming this crisis," Naqvi said.

Sources indicate that the visit follows a visit made by former Maharashtra chief minister Gopinath Munde to former prime minister A B Vajpayee.

"Party with a difference does not mean that we wash our hands of the family of any leader or worker in their hour of crisis. Even if the son of any senior leader gets carried away (by something), we will lend our shoulders to help him recover instead of pushing him into the ditch," Naqvi had earlier asserted.

He also said that while he too was for the law to take its course, millions of party workers wanted the party to extend moral support to the family in its difficult hour and the BJP could not ignore that sentiment.

However, the party appeared unmoved with senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu asserting that the episode be treated as an "issue of the family."

While admitting that the party was sad over the episode, BJP President Rajnath Singh said, "A police inquiry is on into the developments and we have nothing to say about it."

Coming to Rahul's defence, whose political obituary was written in the wake of the alleged drug abuse case, Naqvi said, "One incident cannot be the yardstick for a person's dynamism and capability."

Rajnath had earlier described Rahul as a dynamic and competent young man who could be an asset to the party.