Ministers' stature has diminished in NDA: Shatrughan

NARSINGHPUR: Firing yet another salvo at his party, BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha said today the stature of Union ministers has diminished, and the perception is that the government is a "one-man show and the party a two-man army".

"Not only us. You and many others feel that a 'one-man show and a two-man army' is at work. We (the party and the government) should be taking collective decisions," he told a press conference when asked if the BJP has become a "two-man army", with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah calling the shots.

Sinha arrived here yesterday evening to join a sit-in protest launched by fellow BJP leader Yashwant Sinha in support of demands of local farmers who would be displaced because of construction of a power plant. The four-day stir was called off late last night.


"The ministers' stature has diminished considerably. Many people might not be even knowing 80 per cent of the (Union) ministers. Even if they know them, they might be finding these ministers worthless," Sinha said .

With Yashwant Sinha by his side, the actor-politician said, "Collective decision should prevail. Atal Bihari Vajpayee's was a great government, and we (ministers under Vajpayee) had our identity."

"If the public is feeling...that development has not taken place, there are only speeches and "jumle-baazi" (catchy slogans)....we have paid the price for this in the past," he said.

Even the Rajiv Gandhi government, which came to power in 1984 with a formidable majority, lost people's faith in no time, he said.

"People's power eventually prevails over the money power," he added.