BJP’s Own Critics: From Yashwant’s Fire to Shatrughan’s Fury

Yashwant Sinha is not the lone BJP leader to disapprove of his party-run government’s economic policies. The Quint BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha and Varun Gandhi. | (Photo: Altered by The Quint) India Yashwant Sinha is not the lone BJP leader to disapprove of his party-run government’s economic policies.

Other than the usual attacks from the Opposition on the functioning of the BJP-led Centre, criticism has every now and then come from unexpected quarters – like senior leaders from within the party. On Wednesday, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who has held the finance minister’s portfolio twice in previous NDA governments, raised eyebrows when he lashed out at the “mess” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has made of the economy, in his column for The Indian Express. And Sinha is not the lone BJP leader to disapprove of his party’s economic policies and decisions. Varun Gandhi just last week wrote how India should provide refuge to Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar instead of deporting them – something that the BJP is trying very hard for. Here are the leaders who have rebelled through their words.

Yashwant Sinha

Sinha’s The Indian Express column headlined, ‘I need to speak up now’ was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation decision, and the "badly conceived” Goods and Service Tax (GST).

Further, he said a revival of the economy by the time of the next Lok Sabha election was “highly unlikely”. Sinha even claimed that the BJP members are not raising their voices “out of fear”.

Shatrughan Sinha

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha tweeted in support of his party colleague Yashwant Sinha on Thursday, saying that he had shown the government the mirror. The Bihar MP also targeted his party leaders for dismissing the former finance minister's views, saying it would be “childish” to do so as they were “entirely in the party’s and national interest”.

Varun Gandhi

While the government stands firm on its ground regarding deportation of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, BJP MP Varun Gandhi, in his editorial for Navbharat Times, wrote that India must consider granting refuge to them.

His statement drew the ire of the government, with MoS Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir criticising Gandhi saying, “Anyone who has the national interest in mind, wouldn't make such statements.” Varun later tweeted this:

Nana Patole

BJP MP Nana Patole skipped the recently held National Executive meet in New Delhi. An Economic Times report claimed that he was miffed with the government for not doing enough for the farmers in Maharashtra. He created a buzz when he recently remarked that Modi “doesn’t like to be questioned”.

He later retracted his statement.

Kirti Azad

Kirti Azad, an MP from Darbhanga, was suspended from the BJP after he targeted Jaitley over alleged irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association.

Azad, after his suspension, alleged that Jaitley was an “inefficient” minister and that he was responsible for the hardships faced by the common man post demonetisation.

It is Arun Jaitley who is bringing disrepute to the government. It is he who is responsible for the hardships faced by the common people post-demonetisation. The finance minister is an inefficient person – and is also not an economist. He should resign.

Arun Shourie

Former editor and writer-turned-politico Arun Shourie lost his BJP membership in 2015 following his scathing remarks against the Modi government ever since it came to power in 2014. Shourie had been a staunch supporter of Modi when the latter was touted as the PM candidate before the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP/Modi-Shourie relationship took a wrong turn with the latter launching regular stinging attacks against the functioning of NDA under Modi’s rule.