POLITICS
BJP suspends Raje aide Meghwal over graft swipe at Union minister. MLA says ‘will beat party in polls’
- Admin
- Sep 14, 2023
BJP suspends Raje aide Meghwal over graft swipe at Union minister. MLA says ‘will beat party in polls’
Shahpura MLA Kailash Meghwal's suspension comes amid turmoil within Rajasthan BJP. Raje supporters said to be unhappy with central leadership for not declaring her CM face for polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday suspended MLA and former Rajasthan assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal from the party, for his “open rebellion” against the party leadership and accusation of corruption against Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Meghwal, who is among former chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s loyalists, had received a show-cause notice from the party on 29 August, but purportedly refused to withdraw his allegations and instead reiterated them in a press conference in Jaipur Wednesday.
“I will fight the upcoming election against the BJP candidate and defeat the party in my constituency,” Meghwal told the media. Assembly elections in the state are due later this year.
During the press conference, the senior BJP leader also shared a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, detailing the allegations against Arjun Ram.
The 89-year-old MLA also claimed that Arjun Ram had taken bribes for allotting houses to non-widows under a scheme meant for widows (while he was a district collector), and had given false information in his election affidavit.
“Arjun Ram Meghwal had taken bribes and allocated houses under a scheme meant for widows to non-widows. An FIR had been registered in this case. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) filed a case against him and the sessions court even said that pressure has been built in this case [to close it],” Meghwal alleged.
The MLA also claimed that Arjun Ram Meghwal had not mentioned his cases in his election affidavit, and “giving wrong information is a crime and his Lok Sabha membership should be disqualified”.
The MoS has denied the allegations and been quoted by the media in Rajasthan as saying that the claims were baseless and motivated by personal vendetta. “Kailash Meghwal was making false accusations only to get a ticket from Congress or some other party,” he alleged.
Both Arjun Ram and Kailash Meghwal are both prominent Dalit leaders of the BJP in Rajasthan. However, Arjun Ram gained more prominence since being elected to Parliament for the first time in 2009.
Speaking to ThePrint, Meghwal said, “I have made seven charges of corruption against Arjun Ram Meghwal. During his tenure in the industry department, he has been accused of corruption. I have requested the Prime Minister to investigate cases against him and drop him from the cabinet. Now, the ball is in the PM’s court to show that the government has zero tolerance on corruption issues.”
He also alleged that the party was being run by “imported leaders” from other parties, who had no respect for loyal BJP leaders who had nurtured the party for years.
“These leaders had no love for the party ideology and were only in the party for power,” Meghwal claimed.
The BJP leader’s suspension came amid turmoil within the Rajasthan BJP unit. Supporters of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje are reportedly unhappy with the party’s central leadership for not declaring her to be the BJP’s CM face for the coming elections.
This will be reportedly the first time in 20 years that BJP will be fighting the elections in Rajasthan without Raje as its CM face.
Meghwal’s suspension also came shortly after Arjun Ram was appointed convenor of the BJP’s 25-member ‘Sankalp Patra’, or manifesto, committee for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly election, last month.
The MLA’s anger was reportedly triggered after one of Arjun Ram’s loyalists claimed to have got a ticket from his Shahpura constituency. According to party sources, Meghwal is unlikely to get a ticket in the coming assembly elections.
A BJP leader from Rajasthan, who did not want to be named, that Meghwal’s rebellion seems to be a reflection of his fears that Arjun Ram’s aides would get priority over him in the assembly elections.
has reached Rajasthan BJP chief C.P. Joshi for comment on the perceived difference within the state party unit. The article will be updated once a response is received.
“I will fight the upcoming election against the BJP candidate and defeat the party in my constituency,” Meghwal told the media. Assembly elections in the state are due later this year.
During the press conference, the senior BJP leader also shared a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, detailing the allegations against Arjun Ram.
The 89-year-old MLA also claimed that Arjun Ram had taken bribes for allotting houses to non-widows under a scheme meant for widows (while he was a district collector), and had given false information in his election affidavit.
“Arjun Ram Meghwal had taken bribes and allocated houses under a scheme meant for widows to non-widows. An FIR had been registered in this case. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) filed a case against him and the sessions court even said that pressure has been built in this case [to close it],” Meghwal alleged.
The MLA also claimed that Arjun Ram Meghwal had not mentioned his cases in his election affidavit, and “giving wrong information is a crime and his Lok Sabha membership should be disqualified”.
The MoS has denied the allegations and been quoted by the media in Rajasthan as saying that the claims were baseless and motivated by personal vendetta. “Kailash Meghwal was making false accusations only to get a ticket from Congress or some other party,” he alleged.
Both Arjun Ram and Kailash Meghwal are both prominent Dalit leaders of the BJP in Rajasthan. However, Arjun Ram gained more prominence since being elected to Parliament for the first time in 2009.
Speaking to ThePrint, Meghwal said, “I have made seven charges of corruption against Arjun Ram Meghwal. During his tenure in the industry department, he has been accused of corruption. I have requested the Prime Minister to investigate cases against him and drop him from the cabinet. Now, the ball is in the PM’s court to show that the government has zero tolerance on corruption issues.”
He also alleged that the party was being run by “imported leaders” from other parties, who had no respect for loyal BJP leaders who had nurtured the party for years.
“These leaders had no love for the party ideology and were only in the party for power,” Meghwal claimed.
The BJP leader’s suspension came amid turmoil within the Rajasthan BJP unit. Supporters of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje are reportedly unhappy with the party’s central leadership for not declaring her to be the BJP’s CM face for the coming elections.
This will be reportedly the first time in 20 years that BJP will be fighting the elections in Rajasthan without Raje as its CM face.
Meghwal’s suspension also came shortly after Arjun Ram was appointed convenor of the BJP’s 25-member ‘Sankalp Patra’, or manifesto, committee for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly election, last month.
The MLA’s anger was reportedly triggered after one of Arjun Ram’s loyalists claimed to have got a ticket from his Shahpura constituency. According to party sources, Meghwal is unlikely to get a ticket in the coming assembly elections.
A BJP leader from Rajasthan, who did not want to be named, that Meghwal’s rebellion seems to be a reflection of his fears that Arjun Ram’s aides would get priority over him in the assembly elections.
has reached Rajasthan BJP chief C.P. Joshi for comment on the perceived difference within the state party unit. The article will be updated once a response is received.
