BJP’s Manohar Lal invites ‘snubbed’ Selja to join party

Congress leader Pawan Khera denies reports of Ms. Selja being upset

Turning up the heat on the Congress over the alleged ill-treatment of its prominent Scheduled Caste leader and Sirsa  MP Kumari Selja by the party, Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal has offered her to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Bahujan Samaj Party, too, has taken aim at the Congress, accusing it of showing no respect to its own SC leader.

However, denying the reports of Ms. Selja being upset, Congress leader Pawan Khera said she was campaigning for the party candidates, and all leaders were united. In a counterattack on the BJP, he said Mr.  Lal was knocking on the Congress’s door after he was removed as the Chief Minister. He advised the leaders of other parties to “look at your party affairs”, adding that there were no differences within the Congress.

Speaking at a meeting in Ambala on Friday, Mr. Lal said the Congress had abused the SC community, and its leaders did not feel ashamed. He said the BJP had taken many disgruntled Congress leaders into its fold and was ready to accept Ms. Selja if she came. 

Raking up the issue of a viral video in which an elderly man from Haryana talking about ticket distribution made casteist  slurs against Ms. Selja, BJP leader Ashok Tanwar had regretted that none of the Congress leaders condemned the languageand no action was initiated.

Later, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda had accused the BJP of playing politics over the matter.

Congress sources, however, said Ms. Selja was indeed upset over the ticket distribution and had decided to stay away from the campaign for the time being.

Published - September 21, 2024 11:01 pm IST