People With BJP's Ideological Background Cannot Last In Congress, Says MP Minister Narottam Mishra

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday said people with the BJP's ideological background cannot stay in the Congress for long.

Mishra's remark came amid speculation that three-time MLA Deepak Joshi, son of former chief minister late Kailash Joshi, might quit the BJP and join the Congress.

Apart from Deepak Joshi, senior BJP leaders Satyanarayan Sattan and Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat are also openly expressing their disgruntlement with the ruling party.

When asked about this, Mishra told reporters in Indore, "They belong to our ideological family. Even if a person from such a family does something on an impulse, he comes back.....Because people from this family cannot assimilate in Congress.” Sartaj Singh and Ramkrishna Kusmaria had returned to the party fold leaving the Congress, he pointed out, adding that when nothing happens in a Congress government, all such leaders return to the saffron party. The home minister parried a question about Bajrang Dal activists allegedly attacking a Congress office in Jabalpur.

He, however, alleged that the Congress practices "politics of appeasement".

"The Supreme Court has not said that Bajrang Dal spreads communalism or indulges in riots, but Congress compared Bajrang Dal to PFI which is clearly involved in anti-national activities," Mishra said.

In its election manifesto released on May 2 for the Karnataka Assembly polls, the Congress said it was committed to taking "strong and decisive action" against organisations like Bajrang Dal and Popular Front of India (PFI) that "spread hatred" between communities on the basis of caste and religion.