Kolkata: Amid allegations of corruption in the West Bengal government, Home Minister Amit Shah has asked BJP leaders in the state to be careful while inducting new members into the party and keep people with tainted image at an arm’s length.
Shah’s instructions came six days ago for the BJP MPs who are in New Delhi to attend the parliamentary sessions.
Speaking to News18.com, senior BJP leader Mukul Roy said, “Amit-ji has instructed us to tread cautiously while inducting new members. He told us to check their backgrounds and not to rope in anyone with a dubious image. In the BJP, there is no place for people who have a questionable background.”
The move comes amid controversy regarding the alleged practice of taking ‘cut money’ or illegal commission to facilitate government schemes by the Trinamool Congress leadership.
“Amit Shah had said that people voted for the BJP in Bengal against corruption and muscle power. Therefore, we should be careful while giving membership to people in the BJP.”
“From July 6 onwards, we are going to start the membership scrutiny/screening process in all the districts in Kolkata. All the leaders were asked to check the backgrounds of those who joined the party recently. We have a prescribed form and based on its inputs, we will conduct background checks. If required, we will personally visit their houses for cross verification,” he said.
News18 has learnt that the central leadership wants to ensure that if found guilty, those who have already managed to get into the saffron brigade will be removed.
Recently, former TMC leader Monirul Islam who had switched over to the BJP, offered to resign after several party leaders expressed objection to his induction. A section of them felt that people like him would bring a bad name to the party.
After West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee told TMC leaders that she had received complaints of ‘cut money’, protests erupted across the state as people demanded that the bribe money taken by TMC leaders be returned immediately.
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