Pani puri lands Purohit in soup

Raj Purohit's comments against pani-puri hygiene crusader Ankita Rane, giving BJP's squabbling factions reason to demand his ouster

Pani puri lands Purohit in soup

Raj Purohit's comments against pani-puri hygiene crusader Ankita Rane, giving BJP's squabbling factions reason to demand his ouster

Post Nitin Gadkari and Gopinath Munde's departure to Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) internal factions in Maharashtra had fallen silent. However, BJP Mumbai unit chief Raj Purohit's alleged tirade against 19 year-old Thane resident Ankita Rane, who shot a video of Rajdev Chauhan, a pani puri vendor who was urinating into his serving vessel, has brought new camps to the fore. According to sources within the BJP, the anti-Munde camp has now seized the opportunity to demand the ouster of Purohit, who belongs to the Munde camp.

Purohit's remarks were made at a protest meeting of pani puri vendors who had faced a crackdown by the BMC and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after the media extensively covered the issue. He reportedly questioned Rane's motive behind filming the man, in what is being seen as an attempt to woo North Indian voters, since most pani puri vendors belong to the region.

"Munde's detractors within the party do not want to see Purohit and want him out before the BMC elections," said a senior party leader. That is not all. "There are a few people in our party who are soft towards the MNS and are therefore called MNS supporters. These people have a problem with a North Indian (Purohit) holding the post of Mumbai party president. They are the ones who are leaking their dissatisfaction to other political parties," he said.

Even Purohit doesn't know why the matter is being raised into a controversy. "Whatever I have said was not meant to hurt anyone, and even if it did, I have apologised for it. Obviously, people are creating a furore with political gain in mind," he said.

That nonchalance is belied, however, by the fact that he has now left the state to visit Rajasthan. When asked if he left the city to escape the political storm, Purohit denied it. "I had prior commitments and have taken official leave to attend weddings in Rajasthan." The BJP, however, claims that rumours of internal factions are not true.

While Sudhir Mungantiwar, state BJP president, had already distanced the party's official position from Purohit's comments, saying they were "personal" in nature, Vivekanand Gupta, the party secretary, said, "Purohit has already apologised and the matter should be allowed to rest.u00a0 The MNS thrives on such things and is focussing on it for personal gains." Meanwhile, some BJP leaders in Thane called Rane to express the party's support and that they condemn Purohit's statements.u00a0 Sources claim these leaders also belong to the anti-Munde, anti-Purohit camp.