Patna: Actor and BJP’s Lok Sabha member Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday said that the party should not run away from fixing responsibility in the Bihar debacle and warned party leaders not to treat him like a Rajya Sabha member with no support base.
“…now that the (Bihar assembly elections) verdict is out and we’re saddened by this humiliating defeat, we should not run away from fixing responsibility,” Sinha tweeted.
The Bollywood veteran’s comment came after the BJP old guard, including L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, on Tuesday demanded a thorough review of the debacle and said it cannott be done by those who were responsible (for the electoral defeat).
Sinha, a former union minister, also warned party leaders not to treat him like a Rajya Sabha member, and reminded them that he has a support base.
“I am not a Rajya Sabha MP. I’ve come through the support of the masses and (have) won two Lok Sabha elections with record margins. I have a support base,” he said.
Sinha said despite his sincerity, efforts and intentions, he was kept away from campaigning in the Bihar assembly elections.
“My friends, voters and supporters were let down,” he said.
Sinha said he never wanted to be the chief minister of Bihar, but insisted the election results would have been different if he was allowed to campaign in the state.
He reiterated he had not worked against the BJP in any way. There have been rumours that the party might take disciplinary action against him for alleged “anti-party” activities.