Cracks appeared in the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party over the demolition of illegal structures as a former minister, backed by party veteran Madan Lal Khurana, offered to quit as legislator, accusing the leadership of complete inaction over the court-ordered Municipal Corporation of Delhi's demolition drive.
Delhi's former industry minister H S Balli told a news conference that Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan had 'misbehaved' with him over his decision to go on an indefinite hunger strike from Tuesday against the demolitions. He charged the BJP in Delhi with being a 'loyalist Opposition' to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
A three-time MLA from West Delhi's Hari Nagar constituency, Balli released the copies of his complaint in this regard to BJP chief Rajnath Singh, wherein he accused the party's Delhi leadership of arbitrariness and inaction.
"I am ready to resign both from the party and as an MLA for this struggle against demolitions," he said, claiming Vardhan had 'threatened' to expel him from the party if he went on a hunger strike.
Last week, Khurana, who has been re-admitted to the BJP's national executive from where he was removed last year over outbursts against then party chief L K Advani, had, in fact, announced Balli's hunger strike plans.
Vardhan, however, told PTI the hunger strike call had no sanction of the party - "This hunger strike has absolutely no sanction of the party. In fact, it is something against the party's advice. Something of this magnitude has to be carried out with permission of the party's national president."
