UP BJP chief warns party lawmakers against caste-based gatherings
LUCKNOW: The newly appointed state BJP unit chief, Pankaj Chaudhury, cautioned party lawmakers against holding caste-based gatherings, calling them against the partys values and constitution. He also warned that any such endeavour in the future would be considered an act of indiscipline. Chaudhurys statement, issued late on Thursday night, came two days after some BJP lawmakers, including MLAs and MLCs from the Brahmin community, assembled for a dinner in the state capital, Lucknow. According to informed sources, the lawmakers discussed the partys alleged bias against the Brahmin community during the meeting. Taking cognisance of the gathering and its deliberations, the Uttar Pradesh BJP leadership termed it against the partys constitution and values. The meeting created a buzz in political circles, with the Opposition claiming that all was not well within the ruling party. The Opposition drew parallels with a similar informal gathering of Kshatriya BJP MLAs in Lucknow during the Monsoon Session of the state legislature. The Brahmin MLAs and MLCs had gathered at the residence of Kushinagar MLA P N Pathak on Tuesday. While sources said the agenda included concerns over Brahmin leaders being sidelined in the party, Pathak described it as a community dinner where discussions focused on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and development works in their respective constituencies. One of the attendees, Anil Tripathi, the Menhdawal MLA from Sant Kabir Nagar district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, told the media that discussions covered both social and political issues. One of our biggest concerns was that Brahmins contributed significantly to the formation of Bharat, but today our samaj is being humiliated in society, he said, while clarifying that it was a general social concern and not related to the functioning of the government or the BJP. In a statement on Thursday, Chaudhury said, The BJP is a party based on principles and values. The party and its workers do not believe in politics for family or any specific section of society. He added that he had interacted with the partys public representatives and clearly told them that such activities were not in accordance with the BJPs constitutional practices. Public representatives have been asked to be cautious of such activities in future, he said. Chaudhury further said that all public representatives who attended the Tuesday meeting were informed that such gatherings sent the wrong message to society. If any public representative of the party repeats such an act in future, it will be considered indiscipline as per the partys constitution, he added.
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