‘Everything will be back to normal if…’: BJP leader Anupam Hazra after being removed as national secretary

Hazra, who has been critical of the BJP and the functioning of its West Bengal unit, was removed from the party’s national secretary post on Tuesday night after Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda held several organisational meetings in Kolkata.

“As per the instructions of Bharatiya Janata Party National President J P Nadda, Anupam Hazra is relieved from the post of national secretary. This should be followed with immediate effect,” a letter issued by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said.

Hazra had courted controversy on December 24 after he accused BJP leaders of siphoning funds in the name of the Gita Path programme at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. In a social media post, Hazra claimed that passes for the event were sold for Rs 1,000 per head by party leaders and demanded an enquiry into the matter.

“Some VIP passes were made for Gita Path for some VIP people. It was given to block-level leaders of BJP to be given to some people. However, in Birbhum’s Nalhati, these cards are being sold for Rs 1,000,” he had written.

Hazra also set up a stall at Poush Mela in Birbhum district’s Santiniketan where he appealed to party dissidents and aggrieved workers to register their grievances. Sources said his activities and criticism of the BJP did not go well with the central leadership and that is why he was removed from the post.

Despite repeated calls, Hazra was not available for comment.

“The party has done what it felt was the right thing to do. Everyone should restrain from making comments against the party in public,” BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) took a dig at Hazra. “Ek pal ka jeena, phir to hai jaana. Tohfa kya le ke aaye @JPNadda ye batana. Khali haath aaye the aap, Khali haath jaayenge @tweetanupam,” TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said in a social media post, quoting the lyrics of a Bollywood film song.

In 2014, Hazra became the Bolpur MP after contesting the election on a Trinamool Congress ticket. However, he was expelled by the party for anti-party activities in 2019 after which he joined the BJP. A year later, he was made the BJP national secretary.