Star gives BJP soap opera a twist

She said she was hurt when she heard Vajpayee say ‘‘if there is one blot on my name it is Narendra Modi.’’ ‘‘I was very surprised that he did not give up his chair after such a statement,’’ she said. ‘‘It was expected that he would take high moral ground and quit.’’

The Pramod Mahajan protege said she would go on an indefinite fast from December 25, the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, to press for Modi’s removal.

Irani did not mince words as she went on the offensive. ‘‘There is nothing wrong in correcting our mistakes. A leader like Vajpayee should not fade away without his name ever being cleared of that blot.’’

As parting shot, she added: ‘‘If Narendrabhai gives up the post of the Chief Minister of Gujarat, it would prove that

BJP is a party with a difference. If he does not, then on December, Atalji’s birthday, I would like to go on fast till he does.’’

‘‘It is high time that Gujarat and Vajpayee got their pride and glory back… to prove once and for all that we are a secular party which thinks in national interest, any step taken in that direction should be welcomed,’’ she said. Chief Minister Narendra Modi is away in Australia.

Caught off guard, the party conveyed to her that it was extremely upset with her statement and made it clear that she either retract her statement or face disciplinary action.

Once back in Mumbai, she spoke to party president L K Advani over the phone and had a meeting with Maharashtra

BJP leader Gopinath Munde before issuing a statement withdrawing the remarks ‘‘unconditionally.’’

‘‘This afternoon, I had gone to Surat where I made a statement relating to the Gujarat Chief Minister. I realised later that as a responsible member of the party I should not have done this. I therefore unconditionally withdraw my statement,’’ her statement issued late in the night said.

Her comments have stunned BJP leaders, especially in Gujarat. State BJP president Rajendrasinh Rana said as Irani is a member of the National Executive, the central high command will comment.

‘‘For Gujarat BJP and Chief Minister Narendra Modi, I can say that as far as the Modi Government is concerned, it had been elected by the people of Gujarat with an overwhelming majority in December 2002. People chose Modi as Chief Minister. So Irani’s statement that it has affected the BJP’s image…if she is talking of Gujarat…does not stand. She has no identity in Gujarat to comment on a popularly elected Chief Minister,’’ Rana said. Rana said the issue was serious and the Centre would ‘‘tackle it.’’

(with PTI)