Arrogance and misbehaviour cannot be tolerated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday in a stern message after senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya’s MLA son assaulted a government official.
According to sources, he told the BJP parliamentary partymeeting that “whoever it may be, whoever’s son he may be… Sucharrogance, misbehaviour cannot be tolerated” and action should be takenagainst them.
“Manmaani nahi chalegi,” he said in Hindi, meaningone cannot get away with doing whatever he or she wishes.
Speaking to reporters, BJP MP and spokesperson Rajiv PratapRudy quoted Modi as saying that such conduct was “totallyunacceptable”.
Asked if the prime minister also suggested disciplinaryaction, he answered in affirmative. “He said if somebody behaves in such away, then action should be taken against him. He made his feelings clear,”Rudy said.
Sources said Modi also made a reference to BJP MLA AkashVijayvargiya’s brazen defence of his attack on officials with a cricket bat withthe boast “pahle nivedan, phir aavedan, phir danadan” (first request,then application, then attack), saying such a conduct is unacceptable.
“If somebody commits a mistake, there should be a senseof regret as well,” he said.
The MLA had defended his action and refused to apologise. Hewas arrested and later released on bail by a court in Madhya Pradesh.
Party sources said Modi also disapproved of the fanfare withwhich BJP leaders received him after he was released from jail and suggestedthat the party will take action.
The prime minister said BJP leaders have toiled hard forgenerations to bring the party success and such arrogance brings it a bad name.
The MLA’s father Kailash Vijayvargiya, a BJP nationalgeneral secretary, was in the meeting when Modi deplored the incident. At thefirst parliamentary party meeting held after he led the BJP to a massive win inthe recent Lok Sabha polls, Modi was felicitated by senior leaders.
Party chief Amit Shah and its working president J P Naddawere also felicitated, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi toldreporters. Joshi said Modi will launch the BJP’s membership drive from Varanasion July 6 during which at least five trees should be planted by party workersin every booth across the country.
Modi dubbed the plantation exercise as”panchvati”, which according to the Ramayana, was the place whereLord Ram, Sita and Laxman had stayed in exile for 14 years.
“Had a great@BJP4India Parliamentary Party meet earlier today. A wide range of issues werediscussed. Looking forward to a fruitful session ahead,” the primeminister tweeted.
In his address, he asked party MPs to ensure their presencein Parliament during the ongoing session and added that they should alsodedicate themselves to people’s service so that they are known for what theyhave done for the masses, Joshi said.
He expressed his unhappiness at the poor attendance of partyMPs when triple talaq bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha. While Modi will launch the membership drive fromVaranasi, Shah will kick it off in Telangana and other party leaders indifferent parts of the country. July 6 is the birth anniversary of BJPideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee.