Dissent should be raised within party, not publicly: Naidu to BJP veterans

In a joint statement senior BJP leaders had sought a thorough review of the BJP's defeat in Bihar assembly elections

In an indirect message to the Bharatiya Janaya Party (BJP) veterans for hitting out over the Bihar debacle, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that dissent should be expressed within the party and not be made publicly.

"Would have been better if these issues were raised in the party forum rather than in public, but we take it seriously nevertheless. Advani ji has immensely contributed to the growth and expansion of the party and we are taking note on everything. I don't discuss intra-party matters in media as I have been the president of the party before," Naidu told the media here.

"Party is taking note on what is being said by whom. They have not come out against Narendra Modi, they have just made a comment on our strategy about Bihar. The section of media has highlighted it as a headline," he added.

In a joint statement on November 10, senior BJP leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shanta Kumar and Yashwant Sinha had sought a thorough review of the BJP's defeat in Bihar assembly elections, stating that the party failed to learn lessons from the fiasco in Delhi assembly polls.

Although no names were mentioned, the statement is being seen as an unprecedented critique of the leadership of BJP president Amit Shah and Modi.

"To say that everyone is responsible for the defeat is to ensure that no one is held responsible," the statement said.