After state BJP chief Subhash Barala's son was arrested in Chandigarh for allegedly stalking the daughter of a senior IAS officer, the party chief's pictures were missing from posters and banners put up across Gurugram for the upcoming visit of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Gadkari will be in Gurugram on August 14 to lay the foundation stone for several development projects in the city worth over Rs 2,500 crore.
While the photos of all senior leaders of the party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, state Cabinet Minister Rao Narbir Singh, three legislators and the district president were displayed, Barala's photo was missing from the banners.
BJP leaders said that there are two camps active within the party after the stalking incident -- one camp wants Barala to remain state chief while the other believes that Barala must resign on moral grounds.
Varnika Kundu, 29, daughter of Haryana Additional Chief Secretary V.S. Kundu, had complained to police that the two accused -- Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar -- had stalked and intimidated her and tried to abduct her on August 4-5 night.
Meanwhile, Barala and Kumar were on Saturday sent to judicial custody till August 25 after being sent to police remand for two days till August 12.
"Demand for Barala's resignation was not fair till the final findings of police investigation come out. There may be any conspiracy behind it to politically damage Barala," said BJP leader R.S. Dahiya.
"Posters and banners are being put up by party leaders and workers. It may be someone's personal thinking, but the party has not issued any instructions officially. Photo of Union Minister of State and Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh was also missing," a party legislator, who did not wish to be named, told IANS.
"Posters and banners installed by leaders holding party posts have put up Barala's photo but some posters put by government department does not have party chief's photo. We will look into the issue," BJP district chief Bhupinder Chauhan told IANS.
The Haryana BJP chief remained unavailable for comment.
--IANS
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