Rajnath denies dissidence against Vasundhara Raje

BJP president Rajnath Singh has ruled out dissidence in the party in Rajasthan following rumours that four ministers in the Vasundhara Raje government had submitted their resignations.

BJP president Rajnath Singh has ruled out dissidence in the party in Rajasthan following rumours that four ministers in the Vasundhara Raje government had submitted their resignations.

“There is no dissidence in Rajasthan nor any resignations. I haven’t got any complaint so far,” Singh said at a press briefing at his residence.

Increasing opposition to Raje has landed the ruling BJP in the grip of a political crisis in the state. There were rumours that four state ministers — Gulab Chand Kataria, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Madan Dilawar and Bhawani Joshi — had submitted their resignation yesterday following differences with the Chief Minister.

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The development in Rajasthan comes less than a week after Rajnath announced the new team of national executives and office bearers that resulted in a spat within the party over the removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and general secretary Arun Jaitley as spokesman.

Dissent within the party in Rajasthan had forced central BJP leaders to visit the state last year to bring the situation under control. Partymen had voiced opposition against Raje over the Haj house row and over the nomination of the state unit president.

On the Gorakhpur violence, Rajnath sought immediate release of arrested BJP activists accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party of fomenting communal trouble in Uttar Pradesh. He warned of protests if the activists were not released soon.