BJP is upset, Chouhan retracts remark on RS
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took a u-turn after suggesting the scrapping of the Rajya Sabha and said he held both Houses of Parliament in high esteem.
In a statement late on Sunday, several hours after his earlier remark, the BJP leader said he respected both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. “If someone drew any other meaning from my comments, I apologise for it,” he said. While addressing a function at the state Assembly on Sunday afternoon, Mr Chouhan suggested the scrapping of the Rajya Sabha, saying black money was widely used in elections to the Upper House.
The BJP was, reportedly, upset over Mr Chauhan’s remarks equating Rajya Sabha with a market. Incidentally, some of the top backroom strategists of BJP ranging from Mr Arun Jaitley to Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu belong to the Upper House.
A majority of party leaders including party’s Rajya Sabha members maintained that Mr Chauhan’s comments have put the party in an embarrassing position. On Monday, most of the party leaders refused to comment on the issue.
Sources disclosed Mr Chauhan was asked by the BJP top brass to retract from his statement after the party was left in a difficult situation.
Mr Chauhan was also asked to avoid making such controversial statements, which the BJP is of the view might give Opposition a chance to divert attention from corruption issue, which the BJP has decided to take up in a big way, sources disclosed.
Though the party distanced itself from Mr Chauhan’s comment, senior party leader and Rajya Sabha Member M. Venkaiah Naidu said,
Most of the party leaders refused to comment on the issue, claiming the issue has been settled after Mr Chauhan’s issued a statement clarifying his position.
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