Won’t contest next LS polls on BJP ticket: K’shetra MP Saini
Announces to float his own party in August; takes dig at INLD, Congress over infighting
KARNAL:The rebel BJP member of Parliament (MP) from Kurukshetra, Raj Kumar Saini, a vociferous critic of Jat quota demand in Haryana, announced on Thursday to break away from the saffron party. “I will not contest the next Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket at any cost. And I am going to form a new political party in August,” said Saini, while speaking to mediapersons on Thursday.
Saini, whose casteist rants have often caused discomfiture to the BJP central and state leadership, has been a forceful critic of what he terms as “strong arm tactics” of Jats in Haryana to assert their supremacy. The backward class leader, in fact, has often issued stern warnings to the Jats not to pressurise the state and central governments on the issue of reservation.
In a way, Saini’s anti-Jat outburst suits his political agenda and intention of emerging as an undisputed leader of non-Jat communities in the state.
The MP, who was in Karnal to hold a meeting of his supporters, said that they will hold a rally in Karnal on August 28.
He also took a dig at internal bickering in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Congress. “A faction of the INLD leaders was opposed to alliance with the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party). As far as the Congress is concerned, there are five chief ministerial aspirants,” he said.
Saini has time and again embarrassed the BJP-led central and state government for accepting the demand of reservation to Jats. He has publicly criticised the state government for withdrawing criminal cases registered against Jats for allegedly indulging in violence and arson during Jat quota protests.
The first-time MP has also accused the BJP leadership of playing into the hands of All-India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti chief, Yashpal Malik.
Saini has been working on creating a cadre of his supporters and had been holding meetings in every district. He has also stayed away from any BJP event, including state-level bike rally in Jind this year, where BJP national president Amit Shah was the chief guest. In November last year, Saini organised a ‘Samanta Rally’ in the Jat heartland of Jind, and formed a 31-member committee to look into the demands raised by the people.