Journalism of Courage
While a section of BJP leaders in Delhi have recently faced the wrath of the party’s top leadership for greeting former national general secretary (organisation) Sanjay Joshi on his birthday, a group of BJP workers in UP have set up a ‘Sanjay Joshi Fans Club’ to organise programmes and demand his return to the party organisation.
The club has erected billboards across Lucknow praising Joshi and wishing him on his birthday. Such billboards have also been erected outside the BJP state headquarters, where Joshi’s fans have praised his ‘sacrifice’ and ‘strength’. When contacted, members of the club said they want Joshi back in the party organisation with a reputed post.
The billboards praise Joshi in different ways. One reads — “Satta suvidha ki rajniti ko dutkara, nindak ko uski bhasha me lalkara, virakt adambar se apni garima ko girne nahin diya, apne bal ko kahin bikharne nahin diya aur na hi palayan kiya, deen bhi nahin bane atal hi rahe, heen bhi nahin bane, bane to sankalpon ke liye satat sadhna bane. (Refused the politics of power, challenged his critics in their language, never declined his dignity, neither weaken his power and nor moved away, continued to work for commitments)”.
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When contacted, club secretary Chetan Shukla said BJP members from different districts have joined the club and will organise programmes for Joshi. Chetan, who is associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and is the son of BJP leader K K Shukla, added that Joshi should be given a party post. “Very soon, we will launch social media accounts of our club to seek support for Joshi,” he said.
Another member and BJP corporator from Lal Bahadur Shastri municipal ward in Lucknow, Devendra Verma, said: “When there could be followers of Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then why not for Sanjay Joshi?”
Devendra added: “Joshi is a down to earth person who have held prestigious posts in the party but was still polite with workers. He should be given an important post because he is a skilled organisation manager.”
Joshi had worked in the state before the 2011-12 Assembly polls. He continued working in the state ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. In the meantime, he was kept away from the BJP national executive reportedly under pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the Gujarat chief minister. A fortnight later, the party had also dissociated him from UP. However, hoardings in Joshi’s support had surfaced in Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Lucknow.
Joshi recently associated himself with the Swachh Bharat campaign launched by Modi and participated in various cleanliness programmes held in Lucknow and other parts of UP. These programmes are being organised by Jagruk Matdata Manch, an organisation run by RSS. In January, a hoarding welcoming Joshi in a ‘Swachh Bharat’ event in Lucknow had surfaced outside BJP state headquarters but was removed overnight.
