Veteran BJP neta alleges humiliation by ‘new entrants’, writes to Nanded city chief

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Alleging that old and loyal BJP workers in Nanded are being sidelined following the growing dominance of politicians with a Congress background in the city unit, former district BJP president Ganpat Raut has written a letter to city BJP chief Amarnath Rajurkar expressing his displeasure over what he termed “humiliating treatment”. Rajurkar, a former Congress functionary, had joined BJP along with former CM Ashok Chavan, who is currently serving as Rajya Sabha MP.The letter, dated May 19, surfaced amid discussions within the party over giving opportunities to long-serving and loyal BJP workers in the upcoming legislative council elections.The controversy relates to the recently concluded Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay district training campaign organised by the Nanded city BJP unit with considerable fanfare. The two-day programme, inaugurated by Ashok Chavan, was held in an air-conditioned hall with elaborate arrangements, party sources said.According to the programme schedule, Raut was assigned to preside over one of the sessions on May 17, and his name was also printed in the official itinerary. However, Raut alleged in his letter that while he was on his way to attend the event along with local party workers, he received a phone call asking him not to come, with organisers informing him that his session had been moved to the following day. Raut further said that the next day, nobody contacted him, resulting in his exclusion from the campaign.“I never asked anyone to make me chair a session in the campaign. I agreed only after your office informed me about it. Don’t you think a senior worker has been insulted?” Raut asked in the letter addressed to Rajurkar.In the letter, Raut recounted his long association with the Sangh since 1960, beginning with the RSS and later Jan Sangh before the formation of BJP. He reminded the city leadership of his role in organising former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s public meeting in Nanded after the BJP’s formation in 1980, including mobilising funds at a time when, he claimed, Congress netas had tried to prevent the party from getting a stadium ground for the rally.Raut also highlighted that he and other party workers had faced police custody and imprisonment during various agitations organised for the party over the decades.Rajurkar is yet to respond to the letter