Uma Bharti cautions BJP against taking Kanda's support to form govt in Haryana

BJP vice president Uma Bharti on Friday asked the party not to forget its "moral mission" and suggested that it should not seek support from controversial Independent MLA Gopal Kanda, who is accused of abetting suicides of a woman and her mother, to form government in Haryana.

In her tweets, Bharti, also a former union minister, said she will request the BJP not to forget its moral mission and ensure that it gets support from people who are as "clean" as its own workers are.

Whether Kanda is a criminal or innocent will be decided by court but he cannot be absolved of his crime because he has won an election, Bharti, once a firebrand Hindutva leader, said.

"We must form government in Haryana but we should ensure that we have support from people (MLAs) who are as clean as BJP workers are," she said.

In 2012, a former air hostess, who was employed with Kanda's company, had committed suicide, accusing him of harassment.

Police, during its investigation, accused him of raping her and also charged him with abetment to her suicide. Her mother also later ended her life. Kanda was booked for abetting her suicide too.

The matter is in court now.

Wary of adverse publicity, senior BJP leaders have made it a point to not be seen with Kanda, who has announced his support to the party as it works to cobble together the support of a majority of MLAs to form the government in Haryana.

Asked about the simmering row over the issue, BJP general secretary Anil Jain said the party is aware of the matter and will take a call on this.