Raje cancels Punjab visit

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today skipped in Anandpursahib in Punjab where she would have met BJP President Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, prompting speculation about her political future.
Indications last night were that she was scheduled to attend the function to commemorate 350 years of a key Sikh shrine, which went on without her presence.
For the record Raje's press advisor said due to back pain, the chief minister was advised by doctors to take rest. So she has cancelled her visit to Punjab, he said, an explanation that did nothing to quell the speculation whether she would be able to stay in her job.

In parallel with trouble for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who helped the former IPL boss Lalit Modi get travel documents from Britain to travel to Portugal, Raje has been facing storm over her purported secret 'witness statement' backing his immigration plea in Britain.
The Opposition parties have stepped up their campaign for the resignation of the two senior BJP leaders failing which their removal, a campaign that has come put the Modi government in a spot.
Meanwhile, Amit Shah discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi damage-control measures and how to cut the losses over the current crisis.

Sources said that Shah, who had gone to PM's residence along with a delegation UP farmers last evening, stayed back and had a detailed discussion with Modi.

The sources said Shah is also in touch with RSS leadership on the issue. While BJP's top leaders have come out in support of Swaraj, they are yet to openly back Raje.
However, Rajathan Health Minister Rajendra Rathore rejected demands for Raje's resignation, saying the entire national BJP and party MLAs were with her.
"The entire BJP be it at the Centre or the state are with her. She has been leading us and will continue to do so. The entire legislature party is standing strongly with her. Our leadership is standing by her. The question of her resignation does not arise," he had said.

BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi met Swaraj at her residence last night in an apparent expression of support to Swaraj, who kept her engagements today. She called on visiting Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete here.