'Frustrated' Raj Purohit hits out at PM Modi, Amit Shah: In sting video, BJP MLA slams authoritarian attitude of party leaders

Mumbai: After a video from a sting operation surfaced, where Raj Purohit, a BJP MLA from Colaba, allegedly leveled several allegations on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Maharashtra BJP unit has issued a show cause notice seeking explanation from Purohit over his controversial remarks. Purohit has been asked to give a written explanation in three days to the state party president. This comes days after the state education minister Vinod Tawde’s fake degree controversy and women and child development minister Pankaja Munde’s alleged chikki scam which has left the BJP red-faced in Maharashtra. A staunch loyalist of late BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde, Purohit is a five term MLA and is the party’s chief whip in the legislative assembly. He was a minister of state for housing and labour in the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state between 1995 and 1999 and was also the Mumbai unit president. [caption id=“attachment_2315592” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “]  BJP MLA Raj Purohit in the video. Image courtesy: YouTube screengrab[/caption] Purohit had allegedly said in the sting video that ‘only two people take decisions in the BJP and others in the parliamentary board just give their seal of approval’. “There is no collective leadership in the party. Only two people take decisions and others only implement it. Collective leadership is a farce,” Purohit is seen saying in the video. While criticising the Modi government’s decision, Purohit said that ‘banias’ who are BJP supporters are unhappy about Permanent Account Number (PAN) being made mandatory for gold purchases of over Rs 1 lakh. “Injustice is being done to me. I am the senior most leader in the BJP after revenue minister Eknath Khadse. I should have been a minister but have been asked to wait because of BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha,” he reportedly said. Purohit also alleged that Lodha, a prominent developer in Mumbai, had gotten hold of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s ‘huge money that had been utitilized for the elections.’ Lodha also has the influence in the RSS and manages everyone, he further adds. Purohit also ridiculed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and called him a ‘bogus’ leader. While Lodha has refuted all the allegations levelled by Purohit, BJP state president Raosaheb Danve said that if the truth is established and if it was found that he has violated the party discipline, he can be expelled from the party. Purohit demanded forensic investigation of the video claiming that it is morphed and the voice in it is not his. “There has been an attempt to tarnish the image of BJP and to ruin my political career. I have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and the entire national leadership of the party,” he said in a statement. However, Purohit is not unknown to controversies. In 2011, after Ankita Rane, 19-year old student, uploaded a shocking video of a paani puri vendor relieving himself in a jar kept on his handcart, Purohit slammed the 19-year-old and questioned her motive behind filming the man. Purohit had criticised Ankita at a public meeting and reportedly said that no Indian woman, including that of red light area, would watch such a thing. The 59-year-old vendor in Thane was detained in April 2011 for allegedly “urinating” into a small utensil that he used to serve his customers. However, when asked about the latest controversial remarks, BJP leaders said that Purohit’s could have made the comments out of frustration as he has been denied a ministry in the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis led government in Maharashtra. “It is shocking hear such comments from a seasoned politician like him. His remarks are completely unexpected. He may his own views but he should have been more careful about it as such comments can’t be made in public,” said a BJP leader, who knows him since last two decades, requesting anonymity. “While he has denied it, it is clearly seen from the video that he was speaking with someone close to him who has done this mischief. He will have to pay for it anyway,” the leader added. Here is the link to the video.