Pankaja Munde says ‘Taking break for 1-2 months’, takes swipe at BJP colleagues

BJP leader Pankaja Munde on Friday announced that she was planning to take a break for “one-two months”, suggesting that she had been ‘treated unfairly” by the party.

Munde, 43, also denied reports that she was joining another party, adding that she was planning to sue a channel that reported that she had met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

“I do not indulge in dishonest politics. The party should answer whether I have merit or not. Only time will tell whether I was treated unfairly,” she said.

The BJP leader also said that portions of her speeches were taken out of context on several occasions, and speculations were made that led to her decision to take a break “not from my work but from you (media)”.

Seemingly taking a swipe at the BJP over Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, Pankaja Munde said that her colleagues couldn’t muster the courage to speak about the “recent developments in Maharashtra”.

“I am a BJP worker who believes in the ideology of Deendayal Upadhaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I want that ideology to remain as I have grown up with that sentiment,” she said, speaking about the split in the Shiv Sena (in June last year) and the NCP.

“I AM GOING TO INTROSPECT”

Pankaja Munde said the BJP would have to answer if she had merit and asserted that only time would tell if she was treated unfairly.

Talking to the media on Friday, Pankaja referenced her 2019 loss of the Parli seat, and said her name came up for nomination to the Rajya Sabha and two times for the Maharashtra Legislative Council after that. However, she was asked to not go ahead at the last moment, she said.

“I have never commented on this in public and have obeyed the party directive. i have never worked against the party’s interest. If the BJP doesn’t think where politics is going…nobody is interested in what people think, I am going to introspect,” she said.

Pankaja, daughter of party stalwart late Gopinath Munde, said she wanted the BJP’s ideology of Deendayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee to remain as she had grown up on that sentiment, news agency PTI said in a report.

DEVENDRA FADNAVIS REACTS
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said Pankaja Munde has “personal views”. He said so as Pankaja took a jibe at the party over NCP split and some leaders joining the Maharashtra government.

Fadnavis said, “Pankaja Munde is BJP’s national secretary and a senior leader. She has her personal views… especially after NCP joined us.” He agreed that the BJP-Sena alliance had had a tussle with the NCP. “It is true that our people have had a tussle with NCP and all of them can’t accept it in a day.”

Reacting to speculation around Pankaja Munde quitting BJP and joining Congress, Fadnavis said, “BJP’s senior leaders will talk to Pankaja Munde and I believe she will work with our party.” Fadnavis added that “dialogue is the answer to all and our senior leaders will talk to her”, news agency PTI reported.