‘I am firmly with the BJP’, says Pankaja Munde; rubbishes rumours of her meeting Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi in Delhi
The Hindu
Reiterating that she was firmly in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), party national general secretary Pankaja Munde on July 7 refuted speculation of her having met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.
Reiterating that she was firmly in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), party national general secretary Pankaja Munde on July 7 refuted speculation of her having met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.
“Since last few days, reports have been circulating of me joining the Congress. This is completely false. I have been a dedicated party worker for the last 20 years. Being the daughter of [late BJP stalwart] Gopinath Munde, betrayal does not run in my blood,” said Ms. Munde, speaking to reporters in Mumbai.
She said she had not met the Gandhi family personally in her life while warning she would file a defamation case against the local news channel for airing factually incorrect news that she had met the Congress leaders and hinting she was en route to joining the Congress party.
Ms. Munde further said that while leaders of many parties had recently made statements that they would welcome her if she joined them, she herself had no discussion with any leader of any party regarding leaving the BJP.
“I express displeasure at such news questioning my morality. My stance has always been above board. I do not like to do things in an underhand manner,” said Ms. Munde, a former Maharashtra Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government (2014-19).
She further said that she would be taking a two-month break from hustle and bustle of politics in order to “introspect.”
Ms. Munde said she had never made any statement against the BJP nor done anything against the organization.