Bhopal:
Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijaywargiya stoked a controversy on Monday when he termed the 'Vyapam' scam as a "small scandal" even as the CBI took over the probe into the massive admission and recruitment scandal which has rocked Madhya Pradesh.
"For us it (Vyapam) is a chutput (small) scam. It may be big for you," Mr Vijaywargiya, the national general secretary of BJP, told reporters in Bhopal.
He was interacting with the media on the BJP's "Maha-jansampark campaign" or mega membership drive.
Responding to a query on tips given by the BJP leaders to the party workers whose morale is apparently down in the wake of the Supreme Court handing over the probe into the scam to the CBI, the former minister snapped, "Those whose morale is down should have concern for it. Our morale is not down on the issue."
Mr Vijaywargiya had recently triggered a row after the death of TV journalist Akshay Singh, who was investigating the unnatural deaths in the scam, by reportedly saying, "Is a journalist bigger than me?" He later denied making such a statement.
Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah arrived in Bhopal to address the party leaders and ministers from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on 'Mahajansampark campaign'.
The meeting was out of bounds for the media persons but a press conference was organised later on a short notice which was addressed by BJP national vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, besides Mr Vijaywargiya.
On the occasion, BJP leaders admitted some anomalies in the party's mass membership drive but added that they have been rectified.
Mr Vijaywargiya said BJP workers will start contacting newly-enrolled members personally for verification as part of the party's door-to-door mass contact programme
Congress workers staged a protest over the Vyapam scam near the venue but the police prevented them from reaching the Samanvay Bhawan where the BJP meeting was held.