In a surprising show of solidarity, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Kalraj Mishra visited Rahul Mahajan, son of late party leader Pramod Mahajan, on Thursday at Delhi's Tughlak Road police station. Rahul is in police custody in a drug abuse case.
"We have come to enquire about his well being and wish him good luck in overcoming this crisis," BJP vice-president Naqvi said.
The visit of the leaders assumes significance as the party had distanced itself from the episode saying it was a tragedy in the Mahajan family.
The visit also comes in the wake of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee expressing sympathy with Rahul. A section of the party has been critical of the leadership for deserting the late leader's family in its hour of grief and crisis.
Sources close to Naqvi and Mishra termed as 'absolutely wrong' reports that they had visited Rahul on Vajpayee's instructions.
"It was a purely a voluntary act and they had gone there to extend moral support to Rahul in their personal capacity," they said.
Sources said Rahul Mahajan was visibly happy to see both Naqvi and Mishra. He smiled, perhaps for the first time after this episode, they said. The meeting lasted little over five minutes.
Meanwhile, senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu was also seen outside the police station after Rahul was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital for medical examination.
However, sources close to Naidu said that since he lives next door to the Tughlak Road police station, the former party chief had only stopped his car to enquire about the large media presence there.
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