Arun Shourie no longer party member: BJP

NEW DELHI: BJP was today dismissive about former minister Arun Shourie's criticism of the Modi government, saying he no longer is a member of the party and his comments were his "personal opinion" which reflected the "pain" of not being made a minister.

"We are a democracy, he (Shourie) has his opinion, but the country's opinion is different," said senior BJP leader and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu while reacting to the stinging attack by Shourie last night.

"His (Shourie's) views are shared neither by the party nor by the public," he added.

Shourie, a minister in the Vajpayee government, had contended last night that the Modi government believes that managing economy means "managing the headlines" and that people had started recalling the days of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"I do not agree with this. This is not the opinion of party nor public," Naidu said, adding the people were supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in all parts of the country and BJP is winning one poll after another.

Another leader Sidharth Nath Singh said Shourie "was" a senior leader who is showing "pain" of not being made a minister through "career nationalism".

BJP general secretary Arun Singh said, "Arun Shourie is no more a BJP member" as he "did not renew his membership".

All members have to renew their membership after every six years and Shourie did not do so this time round, he said.

Shourie was a strong supporter of Modi during the Lok Sabha election campaign last year.

Rubbishing Shourie's attempt to compare the Modi government with the previous Manmohan Singh dispensation, Naidu said there has been "no scam, no scandal and not even one mistake" in the Modi government.