BJP MLA accuses Uttarakhand CM of attending ‘beef biryani’ wedding of former BSP MLA’s son 

A remark by BJP MLA Sanjay Gupta from Laksar in Haridwar against Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and his cabinet colleagues of allegedly enjoying “Jhota Biryani” (beef biryani) at the wedding reception of the son of  Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP’s) former legislator Mohammad Shahzad has left an unsavoury taste for the ruling BJP dispensation and led to political upheaval in the state .

As a consequence of the remark, BJP legislator Sanjay Gupta has been served a show cause notice by the BJP state unit while Mohammad Shahzad, who recently rejoined BSP, was sacked from the party by party supremo Mayawati for allegedly ‘hobnobbing’ with the ruling BJP and weakening Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The controversy started following Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and his cabinet colleague Madan Kaushik attending the wedding reception of the son of  Mohammad Shahzad at his native village of Lehboli in Haridwar district on Saturday. Mohammad Shahzad is considered to be a close friend of State Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik, himself a legislator from Haridwar city. The participation of the top brass of the BJP government enraged Sanjay Gupta, Laksar BJP MLA who, in a statement, accused the Chief Minister of ignoring his Assembly segment in terms of development work at the behest of Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik. The MLA said that the Chief Minister, despite confirmation, failed to attend a programme of Arya Samaj in his Assembly segment last month but attended the “Jhota Biryani” party hosted by Mohammad Shahzad. Swami Yateswaranand, BJP MLA from Haridwar rural seat, also questioned the preparations of his own state BJP government regarding “Kanwar yatra”.

The onslaught by the two BJP legislators has stunned the state BJP leadership which was quick to resort to damage control. State BJP president Ajay Bhatt said that Sanjay Gupta has been served a show cause notice and has been asked to reply within ten days. “Indiscipline will not be tolerated,” he told media persons. There were efforts by the BJP leaders to placate Sanjay Gupta who has since gone incommunicado.

There has been intense infighting amongst senior BJP leaders of Haridwar. Earlier, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, another BJP legislator from Haridwar, had similarly voiced his protest against the Trivendra Singh Rawat government but went silent after action against him was threatened. He had to even apologise. Even senior minister Satpal Maharaj had aired his grievances against Madan Kaushik to party chief Amit Shah last year. The infighting between BJP leaders in Haridwar, mainly between Uttarakhand Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik and Haridwar MP and former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, is expected to get more vicious in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

Interestingly, on the other hand, Mohammad Shahzad, a former BSP legislator from Bahadarabad, who had rejoined the party on June 25 this year was again sacked by party chief Mayawati for inviting the Chief Minister and BJP leaders for his son’s wedding reception on Saturday. Nathu Singh, a BSP leader at Haridwar, on Sunday announced that Mohammad Shahzad has been sacked from the party for alleged ‘hobnobbing’ with BJP and weakening the BSP. Mohammad Shahzad, on the other hand, has defended his decision to invite the Chief Minister. “It was a social gathering and people cutting across party lines attended the function. I fail to understand how I have weakened the party,” he told media persons.