Murugan says BJP had put off induction of other party leaders by a week, due to PM’s security protocol
The Hindu
BJP postpones induction of leaders from other parties due to security concerns over PM Modi's visit.
COIMBATORE:
A day after BJP claimed that prominent leaders of other parties would be joining it at 5 pm on Monday, Union Minister of State L Murugan said the party had postponed the programme by a week due to security concerns over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Tamil Nadu visit.
“We had earlier planned to admit the leaders (of other parties) into BJP on Monday, so as to formally induct them in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Tiruppur during the public meeting on Tuesday. But, we had to postpone it in view of security protocol,” he claimed to journalists on Monday.
The party had announced that the press meet will be addressed by the BJP State president K. Annamalai. However, he did not turn up.
To persistent questions from mediapersons whether the BJP’s efforts to wean (other party leaders) had “fizzled out”, Mr. Murugan shot back: “We have only postponed the entry of MLAs, MPs and functionaries of other parties by a week.”
The Election Commission of India will hold a press conference on June 3, a day before the counting of votes polled in the Lok Sabha polls. Till the 2019 parliamentary polls, deputy election commissioners used to hold media briefings after each phase of polls, but the practice has been done away with.