Three BJP MPs threaten to resign over party's anti-graft stand
New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) parliamentary party meet Wednesday to discuss the strategy on the Lokpal bill turned stormy with three MPs, including senior leader Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha, threatening to resign over the party's stand against corruption.
According to party sources, in a meeting called Wednesday morning to finalise the party's strategy, Yashwant Sinha -- a former union finance minister -- expressed his dissatisfaction over the party's stand and said the BJP has lost the issue of corruption to Anna.
Actor-turned-MP Shatrughan Sinha and Bihar MP Uday Singh also supported the former finance minister and said they also wanted to quit as member of parliament as they were not satisfied by their party's stand against corruption.
"We should have taken up the issue of corruption more aggressively. We are not able to convince people about our stand on corruption, despite the fact that we had taken up the issue earlier. If required, I am even willing to resign from my post and take up the issue," Yashwant Sinha said, according to a news channel.
However, Yashwant Sinha later said he did not wish to say anything on the issue publicly.
"There is no need to tell it publicly right now... when it will be needed, I will say it," he told reporters outside parliament.
He said that his stand on the Lokpal bill was the same as his party but corruption was a different issue.
"The stand of BJP is my stand... corruption is a different issue, Jan Lokpal or Lokpal bill is a part of the issue of corruption, the corruption which has spread across the country from earth to sky... we need to fight it,” he said.
He also stressed that the "BJP has taken up the issue of corruption very strongly for very long and the struggle continues".