New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday annuled membership of controversial former JD(U) MP Sabir Ali.
Simultaneously, party president Rajnath Singh asked members to raise internal issues in party forum only and not go public.
BJP was forced to eat the humble pie for a second time in a week when Ali asked the party to put his induction on hold following strong objections from within and the RSS.
"I have written a letter to Dharmendra Pradhan to keep my membership on hold," Ali, who was attacked by senior leader Mukhtar Naqvi as terrorist Yasin Bhatkal's friend that set off a storm over admitting him into the party yesterday, said.
The induction of Ali, who had hopped from LJP to RJD and to JD(U) from which he was expelled for his remarks praising Narendra Modi, provoked Naqvi to make a mocking statement whether Dawood Ibrahim would be the next entrant.
As more leaders including MP Balbir Punj backed Naqvi's objection, the RSS also joined the criticism, saying Ali's admission has caused great resentment.
"Sabir Ali's induction has caused great resentment. Party leadership has been apprised of d strong views of d cadre n people agnst it," RSS national spokesperson Ram Madhav tweeted on Saturday.
Sabir Ali induction has caused great resentment. Party leadership has been apprised of d strong views of d cadre n people agnst it
— Ram Madhav (@rammadhavrss) March 29, 2014With the tide in the saffron family rising against him, Ali told reporters that he has asked the party general secretary to put his admission on hold but challenged his critics to prove the charge that he was linked to terrorists.
"I have also asked him to form a committee in this regard and enquire into my case on the basis of these allegations. If they find these allegations true even distantly, I will quit politics forever," he said.
Ali challenged Naqvi to prove the allegations, saying he has not even seen Bhaktal in his dreams, but came to know only through newspapers.
"I am asking if he has the guts to prove? If not he should quit politics. I am ready to do," he said.
This is the second instance of the BJP cutting a sorry face after it inducted a controversial right wing activist and Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik by the Karnataka unit which threw him out within hours after strong criticism from both within and outside the party.
Muthalik's Sene activists were involved in attack on women in pubs in Mangalore a few years ago after which he was also jailed. Now he has taken a vow to avenge his humiliation at the hands of BJP in the current elections.
Criticising the decision to induct Ali, Punj said, "There was no reason to induct a man, who in the past has been tainted with serious charges of terrorism".
"The perception about his past does not gel at all with the culture of BJP," he said.
He expressed hope that the party leadership would revisit the decision and make necessary decisions. Naqvi, a Muslim face and Vice President of the party, had termed Ali's entry into BJP as a "mistake" and demanded its reversal.
"Terrorist Bhatkal friend joins BJP...soon accepting Dawood...," Naqvi had tweeted, hours after Ali was inducted into the party.
Naqvi said the party has been fighting against terrorism and has been touting as being "different", how can it justify the entry of someone who has links with terrorists.
He had alleged that Bhatkal was arrested from Ali's Mumbai residence some time ago, even as his name had figured in the murder case of noted music magnate Gulshan Kumar.
BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi had said the induction was done on the recommendation of Bihar unit of the party and "further action" in the matter will be taken after "verifying all facts and antecedents" of Ali.
JD(U) had expelled Ali, once a confidant of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, for praising Modi. The party had earlier declined to renominate Ali and two other MPs, including N K Singh who also later joined BJP, to the Rajya Sabha after their term ends next month.
Ali was JD(U)'s candidate from Sheohar constituency for Lok Sabha elections before the party withdrew his candidature following his praise for Modi.
Ali, who was earlier in Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP before joining Kumar, said he had seen so called secular parties from close quarters due to his association with them and there is a difference between what they preach and what they practise.
