Karuna Shukla, a former BJP cadre but now a Congress leader, says that BJP is trying to cash in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death.
Shukla, Vajpayee’s niece, accused the BJP of trying to capitalise on her uncle’s death for “political gains” in Assembly elections.
“I am stunned and pained to see the way BJP is trying to use the name of Atal-ji after his demise for political gains,” Shukla said in a statement.
“In the past ten years, the BJP never thought of Atal-ji and now, in view of Assembly polls in four states, the party is trying to cash in on his death,” she said.
“People are well aware of the drama being played by the BJP and can understand that stunts like five km walk by Prime Minister Narendra Modi (with Vajpayee’s cortege) and installing Atal-ji’s statue are nothing but vote-bank politics,” she said.
According to The Indian Express Shukla is a “former BJP MP from Janjgir-Champa in Chhattisgarh, quit the saffron party ahead of 2013 Assembly elections in the state, and joined the Congress in 2014.””
“Shukla also criticised the ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh for renaming Naya Raipur, the upcoming capital city, as ‘Atal Nagar’ and naming various institutions after him.”, reported The Indian Express.
