Former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who has been severely critical of the Narendra Modi Government's policies and style of functioning, today quit the BJP, alleging that democracy was under threat and key institutions were being undermined in the country.
The 80-year-old leader, who held finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but was sidelined in the party after Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came at the helm, made it clear that he would not join any other political party, saying he was taking 'sanyas' (retirement) from party politics and will now work for "saving democracy in the country".
Sinha made the annoucement in the presence of dissident BJP MP from Patna Saheb Shatrughan Sinha and opposition leaders like Congress' Renuka Chowdhary, Trinamool Congress' Dinesh Trivedi, rebel JD(U) leader Uday Narain Choudhary and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh.
Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav, who attended the function, compared Yashwant Sinha with Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan (JP) and urged him to take up a role similar to the one the socialist leader had played during Emergency to protect the country and Constitution.
"I am announcing from the land of Patna that I would no longer be the part of any 'party-politics' as I am taking retirement from it. And I am not going to join any party," Yashwant Sinha said while addressing a meeting of his newly launched apolitical outfit "Rashtra Manch" (National Forum).
"I took retirment from electoral politics four years ago... I am severing all my ties with BJP...I will not be the contender for any post in future," Sinha said and added in lighter vein that Shatrughan Sinha always says that those who have stature don't aspire for any post.
The BJP said it was not surprised and was "happy" with his decision as it was clear from his actions that he had been acting at the "behest of the Congress".
"Even as the finance minister in the NDA government, he proved to be once again a disaster. We are actually happy that he has called it quits and will look for his next employment in the party he seems to be great admirer of, which is the Congress party. So we wish him good luck," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.
Sinha has been publicly opposing the Modi government on several issues like demonetisation, GST, Kashmir issue and farm distress.
In a newspaper article, Sinha had criticised Arun Jaitley over what he called the mess the finance minister has made of the economy after which Jaitley hit back calling him "a job applicant at 80 years".
Everybody in the BJP is living in fear. We are not, he had said launching the Manch on January 30 after publicly raising a banner of revolt.
The democracy "is under threat again," the former finance minister today.
He claimed the situation is not good in the country, adding "parliament session was curtailed, four senior most judges of the apex court held a press conference, election commission disqualified the membership of 20 AAP MLAs without giving them an opportunity to put forward their case".
Parliament session was shortened keeping in mind Gujarat elections, Sinha alleged.
The central agencies are working at the instance of the central government, Sinha alleged and added that they were "going after some particular individuals".
"If there are problems on economic front or foreign policy, then the next government can bring it on track but if the democracy or democratic institutions die, then it will be difficult for any other government to revive these institutions and that's why we all have come together to save democracy," he said.
Dissident MP Shatrughan Sinha lashed out at the BJP leadership and dared the party to take action against him, asserting he is not going to quit the BJP.
Yashwant Sinha said his life would be dedicated to save democracy in the country. "People, country and freedom all are intact if if the democracy is intact in the country, but people will get to know the problem the day democracy is abolished in the country."
He vowed that he along with "people's power would wipe out those under who democracy is under threat in the country".
A bureaucrat-turned politician, Sinha had joined the BJP in the early 1990's after a split in the Janata Dal and became its national spokesperson in June 1996. His son Jayant Sinha is minister of state for civil aviation minister.
RLD leader Tejashwi Yadav came down heavily on both central and state governments.
"We are seeing you (Yashwant) with hope," Tejashwi, who is leader of opposition in Bihar assembly, said and claimed the BJP-led alliance will bite the dust in 2019 elections.
Training his guns at Modi, Tejashwi said that "a Prime Minister should be like that of a statesman and not like stuntman." "People say that BJP is dangerous party but I say that my uncle Nitish Kumar is more dangerous than BJP people. He (Nitish) stabs in the back and hence people need to be aware and alert of him (Nitish).
Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi attacked the rebel leaders, saying "those who consider themselves above the party and the country will soon find the land slipping from under their feet".
Samajwadi Party's Ghanshyam Tiwari, RLD's Jayant Choudhary and ex-Gujarat minister Praveen Singh Jadeja was also present at the event.
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