Amit Shah gives ‘Free Hand’ to axed minister Lal Singh

The BJP’s top brass in New Delhi is learnt to have placated the visibly angry Choudhary Lal Singh, who was sacked following a raging controversy over his participation in the rallies defending those accused in the sensational rape-and-murder of a minor Bakarwal girl in Rasana, Kathua.
Lal Singh along with the newly appointed BJP president Ravinder Raina on Monday called on Amit Shah and briefed him about the surge in support of CBI probe into the incident, sources revealed to Kashmir Post.
The party apprehends that it might lose a major chunk of votes in the next year’s parliamentary poll if it allowed Lal Singh to continue his campaign in manner that appears opposing BJP’s stand, party insiders said.
BJP president Ravinder Raina confirmed that Amit Shah had summoned Lal Singh to assuage his fears of being outside BJP fold. “The national president during the hour-long meeting endorsed Lal Singh’s assertion that there was a conspiracy against Jammu and the CBI probe into the Rasana case was inevitable if the party wanted to retain the political clout it had earned in 2014 elections,” Raina told Kashmir Post.
Dr Jitendera Singh of BJP currently represents the Katua-Udhampur-Doda parliamentary constituency. Jitendera is also a minister in the PMO. Lal Singh has been MP from the same seat and is considered to have strong clout in many areas of the constituency. Ever since his sacking from the cabinet, Lal Singh has been running a public campaign to press for the CBI probe into the Rasana incident.
Regarding the Shah-Singh meet in New Delhi a top BJP leader said, “Shah did not object to the activities of Singh and asked him to garner more support for party in Jammu. Now Singh will intensify his campaign for CBI probe. He has been given free hand to carry out activities. He can do what he wants. We cannot impose restrictions on his political activities.”
The senior BJP leader said that the former minister’s campaign will also help party in 2019 general elections. Party insiders say that it was not yet clear whether more leaders from BJP will join Lal Singh’s campaign but it is certain that “the BJP high command has in principle agreed to the demands being put forth by Lal Singh.”
Besides mobilizing public opinion in favor of CBI probe, Lal Singh has also suggested to rename the controversial Hindu Ekta Manch as Dogra Ekta Manch, the sources revealed. “This is aimed at silencing those who have labeled the group as communal,” a party leader informed. Singh’s rallies have been well attended and are being backed by various political, religious and business organizations of Jammu.
Shah is also understood to have conveyed BJP ministers to maintain the sanctity of the cabinet and not to allow any unilateral decision that amounts to bypassing the cabinet.
Amit Shah, the sources said, also asked the newly appointed BJP president to prepare, in consultation with other BJP leaders, the vision document for party’s poll campaign for the upcoming parliamentary poll. Rain confirmed that the president asked the state leaders to prepare plans regarding their future plans regarding the general elections next year.
“The ministers should not restrict themselves to just transfers. They should be proactive,” Raina said while quoting Shah.
According to Raina Amit Shah has nominated deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta as the appraiser for the performance of BJP ministers. “The performance of the BJP ministers will be reviewed monthly on a regular basis by Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and state president, and subsequently a report must be forwarded to party high command,” Raina said while quoting Shah.