Under scanner for attending mega Opposition rally, Shatrughan Sinha says will quit BJP if asked

Sinha appears unapologetic for attending the mega Opposition rally in Kolkata.

NEW DELHI: Apparently sidelined BJP MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha, who has been facing intense criticism for attending the mega Opposition rally in Kolkata called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, has said that he will quit his party if asked by its apex leadership.

Sinha also hit out at Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi for raising questions over his 'uncertain' political future. 

''Who is this Modi (Sushil)? I only know one Modi in the BJP. The real action hero, our Prime Minister, the honourable Narendra Modiji. Who are these small fries to tell me what to do? Tell them to please find some other way to get publicity rather than by using my name. As for leaving the party, let the high command say it. I will leave at once,'' Sinha told IANS.

Despite facing intense criticism from within his own party for attending the mega Opposition rally - United India Rally – in Kolkata on Saturday, Sinha had on Sunday fired a fresh salvo at his party and said that the ''rally was aimed at saving the democracy.''

Sinha had come under the BJP scanner for attending the mega rally, during which he shared the stage with a host of Opposition leaders.

The actor-turned-politician and Patna Sahib MP, who had rankled the party by his presence at the rally and speaking about "tanashahi" (dictatorship) prevailing under the leadership of Modi and Amit Shah as against "lokshahi" (democracy) that characterized the Atal-Advani era, sought to twist the knife with a couple of tweets.

"What an amazing gathering and what a mammoth audience that came together in Bengal in lakhs to listen to and support this spontaneous show of solidarity in favour of a change 'parivartan'!" Sinha exclaimed in his first tweet about the public meet which was organized by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

"Kudos to our sister, the great lady of Bengal, the fiery Mamata di, who needs to be roundly complimented for bringing together one of the largest congregations of the strongest and most influential political minds and leaders from all corners of the country on the same stage under a common cause of saving the Indian democracy from being ruined," Sinha said in the second tweet.

Top leaders of anti-NDA parties in addition to former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie attacked the Modi government on issues like demonetization, faulty implementation of GST and the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal at the rally.

Later at a press conference in the national capital, BJP national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the party has taken "cognizance" of Sinha's presence at the opposition meeting.

The ruling BJP on Saturday warned that its MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha will face "action" for attending the mega Opposition rally in Kolkata as the party stated that it has taken "cognizance" of his presence there.

"He is likely to be suspended from the party after president Amit Shah returns from AIIMS. He has now crossed all the limits as he directly attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a senior BJP functionary was quoted as saying by IANS.

The actor-turned-politician has been critical of the party leadership for quite some time, terming it as a "one-man show and two-man army" besides sharing the stage with people opposed to the regime on a number of occasions.

Party insiders say the leadership has refrained from taking any disciplinary action against the disgruntled MP - who has slim chances of being reconsidered for a ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls - since it could benefit the outspoken actor-turned-politician, who is known for his gift of the gab.