Bengaluru: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has clarified that the media reports saying thst he has demanded disciplinary action against party veterans like Advani and Joshi are not correct.
In a statement released today, Gadkari said , “Party elders including LK Advani and Dr MM Joshi are our highly respected leaders and neither I nor any other party functionary has ever shown any disrespect to them and there was absolutely no question of any one suggesting explanation from them and not the least demanding disciplinary action against them.”
“Reports in a section of the media indicating that I have suggested to the party president Amit Shah to initiate disciplinary action against them are absolutely incorrect and misleading,” he added.
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BJP veterans, referred to as Margdarshak Mandal, had issued a joint statement on November 10 and sought a thorough review of the BJP's defeat in Bihar assembly elections, stating that the party failed to learn lessons from the fiasco in Delhi assembly polls.
Without naming anyone, the statement said, "To say that everyone is responsible for the defeat is to ensure that no one is held responsible."
Meanwhuile, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that dissent should be expressed within the party and not be made publicly, in an indirect reference to Bharatiya Janaya Party (BJP) veterans who had issued a statement over Bihar debacle and criticised the leadership.
"Would have been better if these issues were raised in the party forum rather than in public, but we take it seriously nevertheless. Advani ji has immensely contributed to the growth and expansion of the party and we are taking note on everything. I don't discuss intra-party matters in media as I have been the president of the party before," Naidu said.
Referring to the joint statement by senior leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shanta Kumar and Yashwant Sinha, the former party chief said, “Party is taking note on what is being said by whom. They have not come out against Narendra Modi, they have just made a comment on our strategy about Bihar. The section of media has highlighted it as a headline."
