Launches direct attack on Madhav, Raina
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 19: In serious embarrassment for Central as well as State unit leaders of the party, BJP senior leader from Ladakh, Thupstan Chhewang, who had recently resigned from party’s membership as well as Lok Sabha seat, has shot off two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah charging the party with let down of the people of Ladakh by not meeting the assurance held out to them at the time of 2014 Parliamentary elections.
Chhewang came down heavily on BJP national general secretary, Ram Madhav, who happens to be the party’s pointman on Jammu and Kashmir and State unit chief, Ravinder Raina for taking what he called “unwise decisions” pertaining to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils, Leh and Kargil.
Chhewang’s resignation hasn’t been accepted so far either by the BJP or the Lok Sabha Speaker.
In his letter written to the Prime Minister, Chhewang referred to the assurance made by the Central party leadership for grant of Union Territory status to Ladakh “within six months” during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and inclusion of Bhoti language in eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution saying both the assurances weren’t fulfilled though he repeatedly took up them with the Central leaders as well as party forums.
“As a local representative my position increasingly became morally and politically untenable with the party and its Central leaders exhibiting little concern for implementing categoric assurance given at the time of 2014 elections that the demand of Ladakh region for a Union Territory status would be met within six months. We exposed ourselves to the charge of making false promises even on such sentimental issues as the inclusion of the Bhoti language in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution,” Chhewang, the second-time Lok Sabha member from Ladakh but first time on the BJP mandate, said.
He said he kept on writing to almost all party leaders including the Prime Minister and also highlighted the issue in national executive meeting of the party reminding all the senior party leaders about our commitment to the region but regretted that all pleas fell on deaf ears.
“Our leaders never cared to logically explain the reasons for delay in executing our electoral assurances,” he lamented.
Taking on BJP general secretary, Ram Madhav, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir and State party leadership, Thupstan said they made the matters worse by repeatedly rubbing salt into the wounds of Ladakh. He described their actions as “thoughtless”.
He described as “strange” the party decision to contest all seats in recently held LAHDC Kargil elections, wasting party money.
“They diverted attention from about half a dozen seats where the party had a winning chance while it had no base in rest of the Kargil district,” he lamented.
Chhewang also questioned the party decision to remove LAHDC Leh Chairman-cum-CEC, Dorjay Motup saying this has angered the party loyalists.
“The Chief Executive Councilor of the LAHDC Leh has recently been unceremoniously dropped much to the anger and anguish of the party loyalists. All these measures have left the local workers in a state of disarray. There are examples of the total absence of application of mind with the 2019 Parliamentary elections round the corner,” he wrote.
Asserting that he had decided to keep his resignation a low key affair and he had submitted only on-line resignation letter to Lok Sabha Speaker as his intention was never to score political points, Chhewang said he was constrained to give vent to his feelings in view of propaganda by BJP State president Ravinder Raina that he had been writing to party’s Central leadership expressing willingness to quit active politics and opting for spiritual isolation.
“Raina’s statement is far from truth,” he said, adding he never met Raina after he became the State president nor he has cared to see me since his elevation.
“Indeed, I have written several letters to the party’s responsible leaders in the past but all of them have sought redressal of one problem or the other of Ladakh. Never have I given priority to my personal concerns. My idea of spirituality is not devoid of politics. In this regard, I am guided by Mahatma Gandhi,” Chhewang said.
In his letter to Amit Shah, Chhewang said he wanted to keep his resignation low key affair but propaganda by certain former colleagues has compelled him to detail reasons for resignation in a letter to the Prime Minister. He also sent copy of the letter written to the Prime Minister to Amit Shah.
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