New Delhi: Infighting in the Delhi BJP seems to be intensifying, with party leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, a prominent face of the state unit, removing ‘Delhi BJP spokesperson’ from his Twitter bio. He is also no longer part of the state unit’s two WhatsApp groups.
Bagga is not alone. Harish Khurana, former chief minister Madan Lal Khurana’s son who is also a spokesperson, also left the WhatsApp group of Delhi BJP around 20 days ago. According to sources, he was unhappy over the functioning of the media unit.
The sources also said Bagga was first removed from the groups last week and then added back, but he chose to leave again.
The trigger for removing him was said to be his decision to not participate in a social media campaign the party had planned to publicise distribution of snacks packets as relief material during the Covid-19 pandemic, ThePrint has learnt.
The sources said Bagga did not want to tweet about the party distributing “chips” as relief material.
On 22 May, the Delhi unit of the BJP distributed packets of nachos, Kurkure etc as relief material among the Covid warriors. The state unit had invited Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy, who handed over these packets to Delhi BJP president Adesh Kumar Gupta.
आज गृह राज्य मंत्री @kishanreddybjp जी द्वारा @BJP4Delhi को खाद्य सामग्री दी गई।
यह सामग्री #SevaHiSangathan के अंतर्गत दिल्ली भर में भाजपा द्वारा चलाए जा रहे कैंप में जरूरतमंदों के साथ-साथ दिल्ली की सेवा में कार्यरत निगम कर्मचारियों व पुलिस कर्मियों के बीच वितरित की जाएँगी। pic.twitter.com/0U1R11aXgP
— Adesh Gupta (@adeshguptabjp) May 22, 2021
Bagga is said to have met the central leadership of the party over the alleged differences within the state unit.
Asked to comment on the matter, Bagga told ThePrint: “The party’s leadership will react.”
Also read: Bagga tweets & then deletes edited picture of Amul ad that said Muslims destroyed Delhi
No discontent, says Delhi BJP chief
According to sources, Bagga was removed from two WhatsApp groups, one meant for the party spokespersons, on 19 June. “No reason was given by the state unit for removing him from the two WhatsApp groups. On 22 June, they added him once again. But then he left both the groups on his own,” said a Delhi BJP functionary.
“This is all baseless and there is no discontent within the party,” Adesh Kumar Gupta told ThePrint.
“Some people might have changed their phones so because of that this might have happened. Bagga is a dedicated party worker and he has always worked for the party. He has contributed immensely to the state unit,” said Naveen Kumar, head of the Delhi BJP’s media team.
Bagga is, however, not the only party functionary who was removed from the WhatsApp groups. Earlier, another spokesperson Neha Shalini Dua was removed but she was added later.
The sources said Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana had also left the group 20 days back on his own as he was upset about the state unit not delivering on the promises made to him. “Khurana was also upset with the functioning of the media unit of the Delhi BJP,” said a leader.
“Though they did not tell Bagga why he was removed, others were told that it was because he had not been actively participating in the party hashtags that were being run on Twitter,” said another functionary.
Bagga had not participated in the Delhi BJP’s Twitter campaign to highlight how it had distributed relief material. “But Bagga was quite clear that he did not wish to highlight distribution of ‘chips’ as many were already mocking the state unit for it,” said the functionary.
“It was quite embarrassing as others were distributing food packets and ration, and we were distributing ‘chips’ as relief material. However, all Delhi spokespersons were asked to tweet on it and even defend the state BJP. Bagga refused, and hence paid the price.”
While Naveen Kumar claimed everything is fine and there is no difference or discontent in the party, the issue has now reached the central leadership.
“The central leadership had to be involved as it became a big issue. We hope it will be resolved now,” said a senior BJP leader.
Sources said Bagga has already met a few senior leaders on the issue.
They also confirmed that he has dropped ‘BJP spokesperson’ from his Twitter bio.
“Bagga was given a ticket to contest the 2020 Assembly polls from Hari Nagar but he lost. While the party was reorganised at the state level last year, he was hoping to get some major responsibilities but that was not done. He was then sent to West Bengal and he got quite involved there,” a senior BJP leader said.
Also read: BJP leaders share 12-year-old photo and claim Delhi govt is ignoring ‘water crisis’