Leaders skip BJP’s ‘harmony meet’

The Asian Age.  | shashi bhushan

Metros, Delhi

‘Samrasta Khichdi’ in a spot owing to serious differences in the rank and file of the saffron party.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari (Photo: G.N. Jha)

New Delhi: Delhi BJP’s ambitious plan to reach out to the dalit community ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the national capital by serving community feast, ‘Samrasta Khichdi,’ has landed in troubled waters owing to serious differences in the rank and file of the saffron party.

A party insider told this newspaper that three general secretaries, Kuljeet Singh Chahal, Ravinder Gupta, and Rajesh Bhatia, did not attend the meeting called at the venue. “They skipped the meeting as they are not happy with the party’s decision to appoint state vice president Abhay Verma as the in-charge of the event,” he said.

Reacting to the development, a party leader said that instead of organising ‘Samrasta (harmony) Khichdi,’ the leadership must work overtime to bring ‘samrasta’ or harmony within the organisation before the Lok Sabha polls.

“Differences within the top leadership is not going to help the party. With just a couple of months left for the Lok Sabha, the top leadership must try to bring all the factions together by sorting out the differences,” he added. A party leader present in the meeting said that all the office bearers were informed about the meeting chaired by Mr Sidharthan, an RSS appointee. However, these three key office bearers failed to attend it, showing displeasure over the appointment of the in-charge of the event.

Later in the day, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that the programme had been organised to create positive energy against the negative atmosphere created by the Opposition. Delhi BJP SC wing president Mohanlal Gihara said that the dalit Community, divided into several castes, will be able to show their solidarity in the historic Ramlila Maidan through the Bhim Mahasangam.

Delhi BJP is aiming to create a world record by cooking about 5,000 kg khichdi with rice and lentils collected from nearly 3 lakh Dalit households in the city.

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