Modi is 'my leader', says Sanjay Joshi, deprecates 'poster war'

New Delhi: Days after posters appeared at various places demanding his return, Narendra Modi's bete noire and BJP's once-powerful former general secretary Sanjay Joshi today appealed to his supporters to desist from such a "poster war", saying it harms the party. 

Admitting that Modi is his and BJP's leader and Amit Shah the party's national president, Joshi said he believes in the organisation's unity and has no role, either direct or indirect, in putting up posters and hoardings which called for his return to the party fold. 

"I appeal to all my friends and critics alike to desist from engaging in such disinformation. This damages the party. I believe in the strength of the organisation and have been and will always continue to work towards strengthening it," he said in a page-long letter. 

BJP's former general secretary (Organisation), Joshi did not share the best of ties with Modi in the past and was ousted from the party and divested from all party posts in 2005 following a CD controversy. 

"I am an active BJP member," claimed Joshi. He added that "Narendra Modi is my and BJP's leader. Amit Shah is the BJP's national president". 

He further said that the Modi government has enhanced India's image across the world and, in the last one year, has taken steps which have seen it come up to the expectations of the public. 

"It seems some people are making attempts to create confusion in the smooth functioning of this government. As part of this, posters have been put up in Delhi and other parts of the country regarding me. I have no direct or indirect link with this. Such posters have harmed the BJP's image in public and hurt it," he said. 

Posters appeared outside the BJP headquarters and the residences of Shah and veteran party leader LK Advani here in April seeking the return of Joshi to the party fold. 

The poster, which depicted a photograph of Joshi, sought his "ghar wapsi". 

The posters, which had pictures of Modi, Shah and Joshi, took a dig at the BJP-led government's slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas", and asked why Joshi was not being taken along.