Shatrughan Sinha often criticises the centre over a host of issues, including the Rafale deal.
Highlights
- Shatrughan Sinha congratulates Congress for its big wins in 3 states
- BJP lost due to its leaders' arrogance, poor performance, said Mr Sinha
- My relationship with the BJP is "sweet and sour": Mr Sinha
Shatrughan Sinha, who never misses an opportunity to criticise the BJP -- the party he is a member of -- and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has congratulated the Congress for its big wins in three states where voting was held over the last few weeks. He also attributed the BJP's loss in these states to its leaders' "arrogance, poor performance and over ambition".
The 72-year-old, who had been a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, says he won't quit the BJP. "The party will have to throw me out if it wished to," he said and described his relationship with the party as "sweet and sour".
"Dissent is the safety valve of democracy, I am one of the people who is in that role in BJP," he says.
Under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he explains, the BJP had enjoyed a democratic phase. In the current government, "decisions like demonetisation are taken secretly and implemented in the middle of the night," he alleges.
Mr Sinha has even asked the prime minister to break his silence on the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, which the Congress alleges, involved corruption and crony capitalism.
His party has accused him of siding with opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad and questioning the centre on the Rafale deal. He has also been criticised for showering praises on political rivals and sharing the stage with rebel leaders like Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie.
"You should first decide where you stand. With Modi or against Modi. The people of the country will settle the account accordingly," BJP Rajya Sabha MP RK Sinha hit back.
The lawmaker, who represents Patna Sahib constituency in Parliament, said in the next year's elections he would contest from the same place, but was not sure of the "platform". He, however, did not elaborate on his plans.