Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Kalraj Mishra today said he did not know about any 'unwritten' rule in the BJP which bars those who are above 75 from holding a ministerial post.
Even the party chief Amit Shah may not be aware of such a rule, he said.
Mishra, who was here to chair the western region conclave of MSMEs, also downplayed possibility of his stepping down.
"I have no idea. I don't know about any such rule. Why don't you ask party president as he is also in the town. But I am sure he too might be unaware that such rule exists," Mishra told reporters, when asked about his views on the recent resignation of Anandiben Patel as the Gujarat Chief Minister, ostensibly on account of her age.
Asked what he thought of the age cap and whether he would follow in the footsteps of Anandiben Patel, the 75-year-old BJP veteran refused to give an answer.
"You should ask this to Shah. I don't want to say anything. If I have to give my personal opinion then I will tell it to the party leadership," Mishra said.
Patel, who resigned as Gujarat CM on August 1, had cited the party's unwritten convention of age cap of 75 years, reportedly laid down by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Najma Heptulla, another senior leader who is now 76, resigned as the Union Minority Affairs Minister last month, and was appointed as Manipur Governor recently.
It is being speculated that Mishra, a prominent Brahmin leader from Uttar Pradesh, has been allowed to continue in the cabinet in view of next year's elections in that state.
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Speaking to media after the conclave, Mishra said the states had been requested to adopt a public procurement policy similar to that of the Centre which gives purchase preference to the Micro and Small Enterprises.
The conclave was attended by representatives of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Goa, Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
To facilitate the MSMEs in acquiring skilled manpower and other technical help, Mishra announced that Gujarat will get one more Tool Room, in addition to the one already running Tool Room in Ahmedabad. The upcoming Tool Room would be in Rajkot, he said.
Mishra, accompanied by Union Minister of State for MSMEs Haribhai Chaudhary, also announced opening of Finance Facilitation Centres in Ahmedabad and Mumbai by September 30.
"Small entrepreneurs have to run after the banks to get finance....To overcome this issue, we are opening such centres across India, so that entrepreneurs get finance without any trouble," said Mishra.
