Leaders’ absence at BJP event raises eyebrows
A large number of elected representatives of BJP failed to turn up at the event organised to pay homage to the party ideologue Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 65th death anniversary on Saturday.
Out of the seven Lok Sabha members in the national capital, only two turned up at the function. Sources said about a dozen municipal councillors attended the programme.
The Delhi BJP organised the programme at the memorial of Dr Mookerjee at Shahidi Park and party’s Poorvanchal Morcha held a seminar on the life and works of the party ideologue.
Sources said only two Lok Sabha members, Ramesh Bidhuri and Manoj Tiwari, who is also the Delhi BJP president, were present in the function. Among the four MLAs, including one from the alliance Shiromani Akali Dal, only LoP in Assembly Vijender Gupta was present in the event.
“Former Delhi BJP presidents Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Vijay Goel ( Union minister), and Satish Upadhyay also attended the programme organised to pay homage to Mookherjee,” said a Delhi BJP office bearer.
A senior party functionary told this newspaper that out of the 181 municipal councillors in the three civic bodies, only about a dozen, which also includes South Delhi mayor Narender Chawala, attended the programme.
Absence of large number of elected representatives from the function raised several eyebrows in the party. A senior leader said, “It is a serious matter. Absence of elected representatives in such an important function organised on the death anniversary of the founder of Jansangh shows their respect and seriousness towards his sacrifice for the country.”
Addressing the workers, Mr Tiwari said Dr Mookerjee’s sacrifice for making Kashmir an integral part of India will be remembered forever.
Prof Malhotra said that Dr Mookerjee believed India’s pride lies not in political institutions and military power but in its spirituality, truth, independent thinking, and service to humanity.
Delhi BJP general secretary Rajesh Bhatia and Poorvanchal Morcha president Manish Singh also addressed the seminar.