LUCKNOW: A day after junior home minister Ajay Mishra’s son, Ashish, was arrested for his alleged role in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight persons were killed, UP
BJP chief
Swatantra Dev Singh
said, his party’s politics doesn’t veer around “looting or mowing down people with Fortuners”. Singh was speaking at a meeting of the minority wing in the state capital on Sunday.
“Netagiri ka matlab lootne nahi aaye hain...Fortuner se kisi ko kuchalne nahi aaye hain,” he told a gathering at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee convention centre. His statement was perceived as an expression of annoyance within the party leadership over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that allowed the Opposition to train guns at the ruling party.
Singh’s assertion comes two days after chief minister Yogi Adityanath stressed the accused will not be spared.
Singh said, BJP functionaries should aspire to become prime minister or chief minister by sheer hard work. “Na khayenge, na khane denge...na soyenge, na sone denge (we won’t be corrupt, nor allow corruption and we shall not rest, nor allow rivals to sleep),” he said, adding BJP leaders will bag votes through their behaviour towards people. “Our grassroots workers have strengthened the party organisation,” he said.
“Aap party ka kaam is liye nahi karte ki mohalle wale aapki shakal se chiddh jayein (you don’t do politics to annoy people),” he said, in an apparent swipe at party functionaries responsible for setting in anti-incumbency against the party in run-up to polls. Singh said, party workers should display dedication, instead of doing politics as a “part-time job”.