Patna: The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been feeling the heat over uncontrollable ethnic violence in Manipur since early May. Now, one of their own has registered his protest in no uncertain terms.
Vinod Sharma, BJP’s state spokesperson from Bihar, on Thursday tendered his resignation from the saffron party over the Manipur situation as he felt ‘stigmatised’ to work under the party’s leadership.
The horror incidents of Manipur, one of which saw two women from Kuki community being paraded naked in broad daylight in the presence of a mob of around 1,000 men, has ‘defamed India’ at the international platform, said Sharma.
“I have resigned from BJP with a heavy heart. Manipur situation has defamed India,” Sharma said.
Despite the barbaric incident, Sharma was ‘shocked’ to note Manipur CM N Biren Singh’s claim saying that ‘hundreds of similar incidents have taken place’ in the state.
Sharma wrote to PM Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda stating that such an incident has never happened anywhere else.
“Still, the PM is sleeping, he doesn’t have the courage to sack CM Biren Singh,” Sharma added.
He claimed that he was asked to debate in favour of the matter (Manipur incident), but he refused.
“Then I realised that no one (from the party) will listen. They are greedy for power and not worried about our daughters and citizens,” he said.
Janata Dal (United) took the chance to criticise the saffron party, saying ‘even BJP leaders are feeling ashamed of their government’.
“India is ashamed all over the world because of Manipur’s daughters being paraded completely naked on the streets in a crowd For which the BJP Chief Minister @NBirenSingh of Manipur is fully responsible and the Prime Minister @narendramodi who is defending it. I am feeling self-conscious and stigmatized while working under such a leadership. That’s why I resign from the party posts and party immediately,” JD(U)’s official Twitter handle posted, quoting Sharma.
