Raj MP Kirodi Meena's dharna exposes fissures in BJP's state unit

ARCHANA SHARMA

Jaipur, Jan 30 (IANS) BJP MP Dr Kirodi Lal Meena's sit-in protest at the Agra road here, to demand a CBI inquiry into the Rajasthan paper leak episode, entered its seventh day on Monday but while he has been garnering support of former MLAs including former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, the organisation's support was not visible.

On Monday, Jaipur City MP Ramcharan Bohra, former BJP state President Ashok Parnami, former Education Minister Vasudev Devnani, and former ministers Rohitash Sharma and Kailash Verma, among others, visited the protest site.

Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan and Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore had also visited but later, PM Narendra Modi's visit to Bhilwara led the entire organisation shift focus to go ahead and and making preparations for it.

However, office bearers of the state BJP seem to have completely distanced themselves from this movement, with factionalism being considered as a major reason for this distance.

Vasundhara Raje on Sunday extended her support to Meena, saying that the senior BJP leader has been sitting on a dharna for the youth since the last six days, and said it was "surprising that despite such a huge movement, the Congress government of the state does not care at all about the dreams of the youth of the state".

However, BJP state President Satish Poonia discarded the news of factionalism, saying senior party workers have been supporting Meena's protest.

"I had plans to visit the protest site, however as I returned from Karnataka, I had to visit my constituency for a programme. Tomorrow after Vidhan Sabha, I have plans to visit the site. He is actually a party worker and is working for the party cause. So how and why can this factionalism come," he said.