Gadkari has no comments on Kushwaha's induction into BJP

Not everyone in the BJP is happy with the tainted ex-minister entering the party. BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath, blamed the BJP leadership for bringing Kushwaha into the party. Sharat Pradhan reports.   

Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday shied away from making any comment on the induction of ousted and tainted Bahujan Samaj Party minister Babu Singh Kushwaha into the party.

Gadkari, who was in Jhansi to address an election campaign rally in the heart of the Bundelkhand region, not only did not make a passing reference to Kushwaha - who until now was described by BJP leaders as a 'prominent OBC leader from Bundelkhand' - but also parried pointed queries by mediapersons on the issue.

On the other hand, the saffron clad BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath, was furious over the BJP state leadership, whom he blamed entirely for bringing the highly tainted Kushwaha into the party fold.

"The induction of Kushwaha who was facing grave charges of corruption into the BJP was not only against the fundamental principles of the party but also in utter contradiction of the campaign undertaken by the top party leadership," he told mediapersons in Gorakhpur.

Gadkari trained his guns on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati as well as her close confidant and Bahujan Samaj Party's Brahmin mascot Satish Misra, whom he accused of "money laundering through 300 sham companies floated by him in collusion with the UP chief minister".

Gadkari added, "I have reason to believe that together they have swindled Rs 10,000 crores, which needs to be probed by the CBI. I challenge Mayawati to file a defamation case against me if she can prove me wrong."

Gadkari was also highly critical of the Congress leadership charging them of only doing lip service. "Sixty years of Congress rule in the country with repeated promises of 'garibi hatao' have not led us anywhere. Neither could they remove the poverty of Hindus nor that of Muslims", Gadkari alleged.

He maintained studied silence when a scribe sought to know the party's objective behind ushering in an ousted BSP minister who was facing serious charges of corruption in the Rs. 8000 crore NRHM scam being investigated by the CBI.  

On Wednesday, CBI carried out 60 raids at various premises owned or hired by Kushwaha and his close associates across UP, Delhi and Haryana.