Severe jolt to Prabhat Jha as BJP president fails to meet Azam

Bhopal, June 22, 2012 (HMNS): It was a severe jolt to the State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Prabhat Jha as he had to return empty handed from the residence of State Waqf Board Chairman Gufran-e-Azam on Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon, Jha, after inviting all the media persons at Azam”s residence, reached there. On reaching there, Jha found that the senior Congress leader was not at home. On this, district BJP president Alok Sharma who had accompanied Jha, called Azam over mobile phone and he was told that he (Azam) is at the office and he would be late in home. Following this, the BJP leaders returned empty handed.

District BJP president Alok Sharma told “The Pioneer” that Jha had a meeting with Azam at the residence of Minorities Welfare Minister Ajay Vishnoi on Wednesday and there the later had invited Jha at his residence on Thursday.

Sharma stated that on Thursday morning he received a call from Azam”s residence that he and the State BJP president should reach the bungalow at 4 pm.

Notably, Jha had been visiting Azam”s residence quite frequently in recent past and the meetings received wide publicity in the media because Azam is a veteran Congress leader. There had been rumours time and again that Azam might join BJP soon.

In a recently convened press conference, Azam had put question mark on the working of MPCC president Kantilal Bhuria. On prior occasions also he has targeted Bhuria and the working of the state Congress through media.

Following this, two days ago, State Congress media department Chairman Manak Agrawal had strongly objected to Azam”s statement and demanded disciplinary action against him.

Now, Azam”s decision not to meet Jha is viewed as an exercise to regain confidence of his party leaders. The Congress leaders were of the view that Azam was delivering such objectionable statement only under the influence of Jha, who visited him frequently.