‘We cannot treat the Mahajans as terrorists’

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`We cannot treat the Mahajans as terrorists'

 

Press Trust of India

Posted online: Thursday, June 08, 2006 at 1532 hours IST

Updated: Thursday, June 08, 2006 at 1655 hours IST

 

New Delhi, June 8: Differences within the BJP over the Rahul Mahajan

episode came to the fore today with senior leaders, including Mukhtar

Abbas Naqvi, visiting him at a police station here and asserting

that 'party with a difference' does not mean washing hands off the

family of any worker or leader in their hour of crisis.

 

 

 

In a surprise show of solidarity, Naqvi, who is BJP's national vice-

president, drove to the Tughlaq Road police station along with senior

Uttar Pradesh leader Kalraj Mishra and spent a few minutes with

Rahul, who was in police custody in a drug abuse case.

 

"We went to enquire about his well being and wish him good luck in

overcoming this crisis," Naqvi told PTI.

 

The visit of the leaders assumes significance as the BJP had

distanced itself from the episode saying it was a tragedy in the

Mahajan family and the party had nothing to do with it.

 

 

The visit also came in the wake of former Prime Minister Atal Behari

Vajpayee expressing sympathy with the junior Mahajan. A section of

the party has been critical of the leadership for deserting the late

leader's family in its hour of grief and crisis.

 

In an interview, Naqvi said the BJP's stand distancing itself from

Mahajan was a "matter of concern" for lakhs of party workers and the

late leader's well-wishers.

 

While praising party president Rajnath Singh for visiting Rahul at

the hospital, Naqvi said, "we do not have to be ashamed of the

episode. The Mahajan family has not been caught in a treason case. We

cannot treat them as terrorists or traitors."

 

"Party with a difference does not mean that we wash our hands off the

family of any leader or worker in their hour of crisis. Even if the

son of any senior leader gets carried away (by something), we will

lend our shoulders to help him recover instead of pushing him into

the ditch," Naqvi said.

 

He, however, declined to comment on senior party leader Sushma

Swaraj's repeated assertions that the party had nothing to do with

the tragedy.

 

"I do not know when and where the decision (to distance from the

family) was taken. But Pramod and BJP were never viewed separately.

Then how is it possible that we distance ourselves from the grief-

stricken family after his death," Naqvi said.

 

When contacted, he told PTI that while he too was for the law to take

its course, millions of party workers wanted the party to extend

moral support to the family in its difficult hour and the BJP cannot

ignore that sentiment.

 

However, the party appeared unmoved with senior leader M Venkaiah

Naidu asserting that the episode be treated as an "issue of the

family."

 

"We are also concerned but...We are always in good touch with the

family...But it is not proper to link every issue with the family and

interpret it," Naqvi told reporters.

 

While admitting that the party was sad over the episode, BJP

president Rajnath Singh said, "a police inquiry is on into the

developments and we have nothing to say about it".

 

Coming to the defence of Rahul, whose political obituary was written

in the wake of the alleged drug abuse case, Naqvi said, "one incident

cannot be the yardstick for a person's dynamism and capability."

Party chief Rajnath Singh had earlier described Rahul as a dynamic

and competent young man who could be an asset to the party.

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