Gujjar row: Ministers resolve to abide by BJP ideals

Three of the four members of the Rajasthan Council of Ministers, who have been served with a warning letter by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for their 'casteist stand' during the Gujjar agitation, have expressed their resolve to abide by the party discipline and ideals.

Panchayati Raj Minister Kalu Lal Gujjar, who had led the six-member group of Gujjar legislators of the BJP to seek the leadership's permission to quit their Assembly membership to express solidarity with Gujjar community during the Gujjar agitation for ST status, contended though he had "not committed any indiscipline or misconduct but even then I want to reiterate that I have always abided by the discipline and ideals and would remain a disciplined soldier of the BJP in future too."

He said that neither had he participated in the Gujjar agitation so far nor would he participate in the same so long he is a minister and BJP MLA.

"If at any point of time, I feel necessary to participate in community congregation over the issue, I will first quit my posts and would then proceed," he asserted.

Tribal Development Minister Kanak Mal Katara, who had convened a meeting of Meena legislators at his residence in Jaipur on June 4 and had met BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde along with two other Meena ministers to pressurise the state government not to "succumb" to the Gujjars' demand, told UNI on Monday that he had not violated party discipline at any point of time and would always abide by discipline and party ideals.

"Proceedings at my residence and my statement after the meeting were presented by the media in a distorted form and that had created confusion," he claimed.

Minister of State for Finance Virendra Meena, who was also party to Meena moves of "pressure politics" during the Gujjar agitation, said that he did not want to offer any comment over the issuance of the letter by the party president.

"However, I am a disciplined party soldier and will remain so for ever. I also honour the party president's counsel and shall abide by the same," Meena added.