 "After backlash, BJP annuls membership of Sabir Ali")
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh today annulled Janata Dal (U) discard Sabir Ali's membership of the party. Ali, a Muslim leader of Bihar, had joined the BJP on Friday.
"BJP president Rajnath Singh has decided to annul the membership of Sabir Ali," said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. He said Ali had written in the morning to party's Bihar incharge Dharmendra Pradhan that his membership be put on hold in light of the allegations against him. "However, the party president after taking all things into account has decided to annul Ali's membership," said Prasad.
He also said that the party president had taken "a very serious view" of the manner in which party leaders had aired their views publicly on party decisions.
Ali was accepted in the BJP at a press conference at the party's national headquarters on Friday afternoon. Later in the day, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi protested Ali's entry into the party because of alleged links with Dawood Ibrahim and Yasin Bhatkal. That protest sparked a reaction on Saturday not just from other BJP leaders but also from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). BJP’s women cadres were also upset at the party accepting Ali into its fold as he was one of the seven MPs to be suspended from Rajya Sabha during the winter session for creating ruckus during the debate on the women reservation bill.
The RSS was livid with the BJP leadership for making Ali a member of the BJP. The Sangh not only conveyed to BJP president Rajnath Singh that it disapproves of Ali’s induction into the party but also made public its anger at the move.
RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav tweeted today morning: “Sabir Ali induction has caused great resentment. Party leadership has been apprised of the strong views of the cadre and people against it.”
Yesterday, Naqvi had protested Ali’s inclusion into the BJP in a tweet. “Terrorist Bhatkal friend joins BJP…son accepting Dawood…,” tweeted Naqvi within hours of Ali’s induction at a press conference at the BJP national headquarters in Delhi.
“Whatever has happened today (Friday), I am pained and have already expressed my anguish to the party. Somewhere, there has been a mistake committed by the party and it needs to correct that by reversing the decision,” said Naqvi later. He said the party that has been fighting terrorism cannot justify the entry of someone who has links with terrorists. Naqvi alleged Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Ali’s Mumbai residence. He later deleted the tweet and his twitter handle was inaccessible on Saturday.
BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj today indicated the party leadership made a mistake in giving the former JD(U) MP the party membership. He echoed Madhav to claim there was resentment in the party over Ali’s induction. “We are a democratic party. Anybody, including our top leadership can make a mistake,” said Punj.
Punj said that Ali was not welcome in the BJP given his alleged links with mafia don Dawood Ibrahim and terrorist Yasin Bhatkal.
“Perception and image are very important in politics. I do not want to get into whether the charges against Ali have been proved or not but his image is inconsistent with the BJP’s commitment to nationalism,” said he, adding that just as the party corrected itself by cancelling Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik’s membership so it would do with Ali.
Sources said party’s women leaders and workers were unhappy at Ali’s entry. “We are the party that has given 33 percent reservation to women in our organisation. How can we admit Sabir Ali who used intemperate language to oppose the women’s reservation bill in Rajya Sabha,” said Rashmi Sharma, a Delhi based BJP worker.
However, former party president Nitin Gadkari has reportedly backed Ali’s entry into the BJP. He was quoted by television channels as having said the party needed to take everyone along to defeat the Congress.
Ali, on his part, had written to Bihar BJP incharge Dharmendra Pradhan to keep his membership on hold. “I have also asked him to form a committee in this regard and enquire into my case on the basis of these allegations. If they find these allegations true than I will quit politics forever,” said Ali, challenging Naqvi to prove the charges against him.
On Friday, Ali claimed at the press conference at the BJP headquarters that he was expelled from JD(U) for praising Narendra Modi. He also said that he joined the party after meeting party president Rajnath Singh some days back. Ali belongs to the electorally significant backward Muslims.
"BJP president Rajnath Singh has decided to annul the membership of Sabir Ali," said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. He said Ali had written in the morning to party's Bihar incharge Dharmendra Pradhan that his membership be put on hold in light of the allegations against him. "However, the party president after taking all things into account has decided to annul Ali's membership," said Prasad.
He also said that the party president had taken "a very serious view" of the manner in which party leaders had aired their views publicly on party decisions.
More From This Section
"Any comment on party decisions should be made in party forums," said Prasad. He said the controversy had no reflection of party being disunited. "There could be two opinions on the entry of a particular person but the party is fully united and speaking in one voice," he asserted.
Ali was accepted in the BJP at a press conference at the party's national headquarters on Friday afternoon. Later in the day, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi protested Ali's entry into the party because of alleged links with Dawood Ibrahim and Yasin Bhatkal. That protest sparked a reaction on Saturday not just from other BJP leaders but also from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). BJP’s women cadres were also upset at the party accepting Ali into its fold as he was one of the seven MPs to be suspended from Rajya Sabha during the winter session for creating ruckus during the debate on the women reservation bill.
The RSS was livid with the BJP leadership for making Ali a member of the BJP. The Sangh not only conveyed to BJP president Rajnath Singh that it disapproves of Ali’s induction into the party but also made public its anger at the move.
RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav tweeted today morning: “Sabir Ali induction has caused great resentment. Party leadership has been apprised of the strong views of the cadre and people against it.”
Yesterday, Naqvi had protested Ali’s inclusion into the BJP in a tweet. “Terrorist Bhatkal friend joins BJP…son accepting Dawood…,” tweeted Naqvi within hours of Ali’s induction at a press conference at the BJP national headquarters in Delhi.
“Whatever has happened today (Friday), I am pained and have already expressed my anguish to the party. Somewhere, there has been a mistake committed by the party and it needs to correct that by reversing the decision,” said Naqvi later. He said the party that has been fighting terrorism cannot justify the entry of someone who has links with terrorists. Naqvi alleged Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Ali’s Mumbai residence. He later deleted the tweet and his twitter handle was inaccessible on Saturday.
BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj today indicated the party leadership made a mistake in giving the former JD(U) MP the party membership. He echoed Madhav to claim there was resentment in the party over Ali’s induction. “We are a democratic party. Anybody, including our top leadership can make a mistake,” said Punj.
Punj said that Ali was not welcome in the BJP given his alleged links with mafia don Dawood Ibrahim and terrorist Yasin Bhatkal.
“Perception and image are very important in politics. I do not want to get into whether the charges against Ali have been proved or not but his image is inconsistent with the BJP’s commitment to nationalism,” said he, adding that just as the party corrected itself by cancelling Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik’s membership so it would do with Ali.
Sources said party’s women leaders and workers were unhappy at Ali’s entry. “We are the party that has given 33 percent reservation to women in our organisation. How can we admit Sabir Ali who used intemperate language to oppose the women’s reservation bill in Rajya Sabha,” said Rashmi Sharma, a Delhi based BJP worker.
However, former party president Nitin Gadkari has reportedly backed Ali’s entry into the BJP. He was quoted by television channels as having said the party needed to take everyone along to defeat the Congress.
Ali, on his part, had written to Bihar BJP incharge Dharmendra Pradhan to keep his membership on hold. “I have also asked him to form a committee in this regard and enquire into my case on the basis of these allegations. If they find these allegations true than I will quit politics forever,” said Ali, challenging Naqvi to prove the charges against him.
On Friday, Ali claimed at the press conference at the BJP headquarters that he was expelled from JD(U) for praising Narendra Modi. He also said that he joined the party after meeting party president Rajnath Singh some days back. Ali belongs to the electorally significant backward Muslims.