Shatrughan joins Cong; terms BJP ‘one-man show, two-man army’
New Delhi, April 6, 2019: Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha joined the Congress on the foundation day of the BJP on Saturday, saying he has quit the party as it has turned into a “one-man show and two-men army”.
Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal welcomed Sinha into the party fold and termed him the “best politician who was earlier with the wrong party”.
Joining the Congress, Sinha said its president Rahul Gandhi is a “tried, tested and successful dynamic leader, who is the face of the nation and its future”.
He hit out at the BJP leadership, alleging there’s no place left for dialogue in the BJP anymore and the party’s top brass “doesn’t value its own people and views opponents as their enemies”.
Party veterans are not being looked after in the BJP and are being sent to ‘Margdarshak Mandal’, he alleged.
“In the BJP, democracy has slowly and surely turned into dictatorship. The party has become a one-man show and a two-man army,” Sinha alleged.
In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “People have called your bluff and understood your hollow promises. You have been exposed.”
The 72-year-old leader said whenever he tried to make a point, he was called a traitor.
“If speaking the truth is rebellion, then I am a rebel,” he added.
He also said the country would have transformed if the money spent by the BJP’s on its publicity campaigns was spent on development.
Lauding the Congress’ proposed ‘NYAY’ scheme, he said such a proposal has never been unveiled in the country.
Hours after he joined the Congress, the party on Saturday named Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha as its candidate from the Patna Sahib constituency against Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is the BJP nominee from this seat.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, AICC in-charge for party’s Bihar unit Shaktisinh Gohil welcomed Sinha into the party.
He earlier tweeted: “It’s with a heavy heart and immense pain that I finally bid adieu to my old party, for reasons best known to all of us, on April 6, which also happens to be the Sansthapna Diwas (Foundation Day) of the BJP.
It's with a heavy heart and immense pain that I finally bid adieu to my old party, for reasons best known to all of us, on 6th April, which also happens to be the Sansthapna Diwas of BJP.
I don't hold any ill will for our people as they were like my family and I was groomed in— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) April 6, 2019
“I don’t hold any ill will for our people as they were like my family and I was groomed in this party with the guidance and blessings of the stalwarts like Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh, late and great PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and of course, our friend philosopher, ultimate leader, guru and guide LK Advani.” — Agencies
