UP BJP chief under fire for ‘criminal record’
Uday Rana | TNN | Apr 9, 2016, 09.17 PM IST
MEERUT:
The appointment of Phulpur MP Keshav Prasad Maurya as the president of
Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP has ruffled many feathers in the state
politics. Both insiders and outsiders have raised questions about his
chequered past - Maurya, a former VHP man, has 11 criminal cases against
him, including those of murder, rioting and arson.
Party insiders feel his appointment may send a wrong message among workers who have been asked to spread awareness among people about the party's fight against corruption. Maurya had himself declared the criminal cases against him in his affidavit to the election commission during the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, which he won from Phulpur.
Defending his position, Maurya told TOI, "Most of the cases against me are related to protest movements that I led. Everything I did was for the people. The cases against me are politically motivated. It doesn't matter what sections I was booked under. Besides, a lot of water has flown in the Ganga since many of these cases were imposed against me. In many cases, I have even received a clean chit."
He added, "The reason I was booked under such harsh sections was because the government of the day has always been our political opponent. Some cases were filed against me when the SP was in power and others when BSP was in power. We are more committed than ever to end Gundaraj in UP. We will convert Uttar Pradesh into Uttam Pradesh. We will do this by coming to power in 2017."
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday asked the BJP how they plan to end the Samawadi Party's 'Gundaraj' in UP when their own state president is accused of murder.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and west UP in-charge Naseeb Singh lashed out at the BJP's choice, saying, "The PM had said that he would remove all people with a criminal history but his right-hand man and party president Amit Shah still has several serious cases against him. It is no wonder that Shah chose a man with a tainted record to lead the party in Uttar Pradesh. We can't expect good politics from such people. It seems that in BJP, a bigger case against someone means that there is a bigger chance of them succeeding. The fact that Keshav Prasad Maurya also has the image of being a Hindutva hardliner proves that BJP has no real issues to fight. They only want to polarize society in their bid to grab power."
The AAP also stepped up its attack on Maurya with party leader Ashish Khetan tweeting, "New UP BJP chief has only 10 crime cases. Just one murder. Rest are of conspiracy & riot. Venkaiah was right. Modi is God's gift to India." Sudhir Bhardwaj, AAP state secretary, said, "Before becoming PM, Narendra Modi talked of a crime-free India. They say they want to end the SP's Gundaraj in UP. However, now the BJP has appointed a man accused of murder as their party chief in the state."
Party insiders feel his appointment may send a wrong message among workers who have been asked to spread awareness among people about the party's fight against corruption. Maurya had himself declared the criminal cases against him in his affidavit to the election commission during the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, which he won from Phulpur.
Defending his position, Maurya told TOI, "Most of the cases against me are related to protest movements that I led. Everything I did was for the people. The cases against me are politically motivated. It doesn't matter what sections I was booked under. Besides, a lot of water has flown in the Ganga since many of these cases were imposed against me. In many cases, I have even received a clean chit."
He added, "The reason I was booked under such harsh sections was because the government of the day has always been our political opponent. Some cases were filed against me when the SP was in power and others when BSP was in power. We are more committed than ever to end Gundaraj in UP. We will convert Uttar Pradesh into Uttam Pradesh. We will do this by coming to power in 2017."
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday asked the BJP how they plan to end the Samawadi Party's 'Gundaraj' in UP when their own state president is accused of murder.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and west UP in-charge Naseeb Singh lashed out at the BJP's choice, saying, "The PM had said that he would remove all people with a criminal history but his right-hand man and party president Amit Shah still has several serious cases against him. It is no wonder that Shah chose a man with a tainted record to lead the party in Uttar Pradesh. We can't expect good politics from such people. It seems that in BJP, a bigger case against someone means that there is a bigger chance of them succeeding. The fact that Keshav Prasad Maurya also has the image of being a Hindutva hardliner proves that BJP has no real issues to fight. They only want to polarize society in their bid to grab power."
The AAP also stepped up its attack on Maurya with party leader Ashish Khetan tweeting, "New UP BJP chief has only 10 crime cases. Just one murder. Rest are of conspiracy & riot. Venkaiah was right. Modi is God's gift to India." Sudhir Bhardwaj, AAP state secretary, said, "Before becoming PM, Narendra Modi talked of a crime-free India. They say they want to end the SP's Gundaraj in UP. However, now the BJP has appointed a man accused of murder as their party chief in the state."
Former party leader Prashant Bhushan also tweeted saying, "A Chaiwala with 10 Criminal cases & serially corrupt CM/godfather of Reddy Bros for UP & Karnataka chosen to head BJP!"
For many within the BJP, however, Maurya's image of a Hindutva firebrand works well for the party. "He is a street-fighter. He will consolidate the Hindu vote for us. The problem with Laxmikant Bajpai, his predecessor, was that he only gave statements from afar and never came to the ground. For people in western UP, where communal clashes are an everyday experience, a leader who is willing to take to the streets will be a welcome change. He is the right choice for the party," said a source in the BJP.
