
NEW DELHI, JAN 27: Former hockey Olympian Aslam Sher Khan who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP in December 1997 resigned today protesting the attacks against Christians.
In a letter to party chief Kushabhau Thakre, Khan said he was feeling suffocated in the BJP following the attacks in Gujarat and Orissa. 8220;The BJP8217;s inaction has aggravated these incidents causing insecurity in the minds of minorities in particular and peace-loving citizens in general8221;.The BJP8217;s minority cell chief, Arif Beg, had resigned some time ago citing similar reasons.
Khan has been a Congress Member of Parliament and a Union Minister as well. He was probably disappointed at not being accommodated in the Union Cabinet. Khan left for Bhopal today and was unavailable for comment. In his letter, Khan said he felt 8220;terribly disturbed8221; at the sight of broken trophies and cups in the office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI in Mumbai.
8220;I have been privileged to be part of the Indian hockey team that wonand brought home the World Cup in 1975, and thus cannot imagine the trophies and cups won by our teamsa matter of national prideto be defiled like this,8221; he said.
Khan enclosed a letter he had written to the Prime Minister last July 8220;reminding8221; him of the BJP8217;s unkept promises to minorities. In that letter, Khan had criticised the BJP for not following its National Agenda of Governance and had praised Sonia Gandhi for taking 8220;remedial action8221; immediately after taking over as Congress president.
He said Gandhi had appointed three Muslim State Congress Committee presidents adding there was an equal number of Muslims among 11 Congress members of the Rajya Sabha. 8220;The writing on the wall is clear, 8221; he had said, signalling that he may be quitting and looking at another party, possibly the Congress.