Rajnath Singh against punishing veterans for Bihar remarks

NEW DELHI: Home minister and former BJP president Rajnath Singh is learnt to be of the view that the party should not crush dissent and the views of veterans who have criticized the leadership for the Bihar debacle should be examined so that "corrective" steps can be taken.

Sources said Singh was of the opinion that the veterans -- L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha and Shanta Kumar -- have experience and have contributed immensely to BJP's growth and the party should listen to them.

The home minister, it is believed, is in favour of examination and analysis of what the veterans have said so that measures can be taken for the party's good. Such decisions should be acceptable to all, sources said.

Opinion, however, seems divided in the BJP over action against the veterans. On Wednesday, Union minister and former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari strongly defended PM Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah and demanded stringent action against those making irresponsible statements and causing damage to the party's image.

Advani and the others had attacked the Modi-Shah duo on Tuesday without naming them over the Bihar rout, saying the party was "emasculated" in the last one year and was being "forced to kowtow to a handful". They demanded a thorough review of the debacle.

Rajnath Singh, sources said, was not averse to divergent views being expressed within the party and feels corrective steps should be taken rather than crushing dissent. He is also said to be of the opinion that party leaders, including veterans, should not express views in public but should raise them within the party.

Party MPs from Bihar like Shatrughan Sinha and Bhola Singh appeared unfazed by calls for stringent action against leaders making "irresponsible" statements with Sinha saying "we should not run away from fixing responsibility" and Bhola Singh calling for "introspection" to deal with "basic failures".

Welcoming the statement of Advani and others demanding accountability for the Bihar debacle, Sinha tweeted on Thursday, "Nonetheless, now that the verdict is out and we're saddened by this humiliating defeat, we should not run away from fixing responsibility."

"Right and high time to follow the friend, philosopher, guru, guiding light and his team of four. Relay race has begun. Gang of four bang on target," he said in another tweet in a reference to the demand of the veterans.