Expelled JD-U leader Sabir Ali joins BJP; Naqvi opposes

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced another crisis of sorts within its ranks when one of its vice-presidents, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, opposed the induction of expelled Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sabir Ali into the party on grounds that he has been named as one of the alleged accused in the murder of music mogul Gulshan Kumar and was a friend of Indian Mujahideen Chief Yasin Bhatkal.

Soon after Ali joined the BJP, Naqvi tweeted that Dawood Ibrahim could be the next entrant in the BJP.

Responding to Naqvi's charge, Ali said that he regarded the former as his elder brother.

"We have worked together in the RS (Rajya Sabha). If this allegation by him is proved, then I will quit politics. I do not know anything about this. The one who puts the blame on others must have some ethics. I do not need to clarify more on this," Ali said.

"We (politicians) are the ones who unite people at the grassroots level. I have joined on Friday,and I have not even worked for BJP for a single day. I have joined the BJP as a party worker. They, including Naqvi, are the senior leaders. These accusations are baseless," he added.

He also confirmed that he has been having differences with the JD-U leadership since January 22, and therefore, he had decided to leave the party to join the BJP.

"I must say that small and regional parties have opened their shops. I will not deny what I have said in past. It was my party's feedback at that point of time that made me take the decision to quit. I have been going to Gujarat and have communicated with local people there. I have understood things better; and only after that, have I changed my perspective. I wanted to join a national party that wants to work on a broader perspective. I want to work for a national cause, and hence, I decided to join," Ali said.