Dilip Ghosh has been warned by the BJP not to give controversial statements
Former West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh has got a letter from the party headquarters in Delhi, drawing attention to comments by him that has "caused embarrassment" to the central leadership.
In April, Mr Ghosh, who is now the National Vice President of BJP, had publicly criticised his successor Sukanta Majumdar's handling of party affairs in the state, where the party had lost the election last year to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.
"Sukanta Majumdar is less experienced. The party has been fighting for long and there are experienced veterans...They should be put up to fight in the state," Mr Ghosh had told reporters.
In the letter sent to Mr Ghosh yesterday and signed by BJP headquarters in-charge Arun Singh, the party reminded the Bengal leader that he had been told to guard against making controversial comments in the past too, "in the fond hope that you will take note."
Mr Ghosh, the letter shows, has not taken note of the party's previous advice yet.
"In [a] recent interview, your comments in the electronic media and perhaps on other forums have been openly critical of senior state functionaries. Such comments will only hurt and harm the party and negate your own hard work in the past," the BJP said in the letter to Mr Ghosh.
"While your commitment to the party has been absolute, there have been some avoidable instances when some of your statements or outbursts have anguished the state party leaders and have also caused embarrassment to the central leadership," the letter said.
"The national leadership of the BJP is deeply concerned at the issuance of such statements through the media...On the instructions of National [party] President Shri JP Nadda ji, I wish to convey to you the party's deep anguish...I sincerely hope you would appreciate the sensitivity of the situation, particularly in West Bengal, and shall always remain more discreet in your dealings with the...media or any public fora," the BJP headquarter in-charge said in the letter.
The BJP had targeted to win at least 200 seats in the Bengal assembly elections in early 2021. However, the party did not do well, and several leaders who had crossed over to the BJP from Mamata Banerjee's party before the elections eventually returned to the Trinamool Congress.