THE SUSPENDED BJP MLA, Dr Gaurishankar Shejwar, on Saturday hinted that the BJP was targeting Dalit leaders. “It cannot be ruled out. The party’s mindset suggests this,” he replied when asked by journalists if the BJP was targeting its Dalit and backward leaders like Bangaru Laxman, Sanghpriya Gautam, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and now him. Shejwar was addressing a press conference this evening at Hotel Palash after his suspension.
Shejwar questioned the party’s action in suspending him on the grounds of the party’s constitutional provisions. He asked where these constitutional provisions were when democracy and freedom of expression were suppressed at the BJP Legislature Party meeting in November 2005.
The then general secretaries Rajnath Singh, Sanjay Joshi and Pramod Mahjan attended the meeting in violation of the constitutional provisions and Shivraj Singh Chouhan was made chief minister ‘at gun point’ as over fifty commandos accompanying Rajnath Singh entered the meeting hall. Over 80 to 90 MLAs were in favour of his proposal that Uma Bharti should be made the chief minister.
When asked if he campaigned for Uma Bharti in Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency Shejwar said campaigning differed from expressing opinion. “I expressed my opinion only when people asked me what they should do in the present election.
I told them that they should side with justice and that injustice had been meted out to Uma Bharti.” He said the Shivraj Singh Government was running technically. If Anti-Defection Law had not been there the present government would not have been there.
{{/usCountry}}I told them that they should side with justice and that injustice had been meted out to Uma Bharti.” He said the Shivraj Singh Government was running technically. If Anti-Defection Law had not been there the present government would not have been there.
{{/usCountry}}He said he wondered why the party had suspended him 11 months after he had raised voice in November meeting to follow democratic norms in the party.
He said he did not resign from the BJP at the advise of electorate of his constituency Sanchi who did not want a mid-term poll.