There is no two camps in party: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday reiterated that there is no differences in the party calling the rift as reported in media between senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley over the tainted Reddy brothers of Karnataka ministry as “perceived”.

“There is is no two camps,” said BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sethuraman.

She said there is a percevied kind of difference while the party has no differences.

Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh also earlier called the differences as reported in media as baseless.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Sushma Reddy created a ripple this week when she has shifted the responsibility of backing the controversial Reddy brothers of Karnataka politics to her party colleague Arun Jaitley and state chief minister BS Yeddyurappa among others.

Swaraj, who has been accused of mentoring the illegal mining tainted Reddy brothers of Bellary- Karnataka ministers Janardhana Reddy and Karunakara Reddy- told Outlook magazine in an interview: “There cannot be a bigger lie. Let me tell you the truth, I have no hand in the political making of Bellary brothers.”

“I had nothing to do in making them ministers or building up their stature as political leaders. When the Bellary brothers were made ministers, Jaitleyji was the prabhari (in charge) and Yeddyurappa was chief minister. Venkaiahji and Ananth Kumar were there as senior leaders. Whatever discussions happened, happened between these people. I had nothing to do with it,” Swaraj said.

“My total interaction with Reddy brothers is limited to one day in the year when I go to Bellary for puja of Varamahalaxmi… For the remaining 364 days, we have no conversations or communication,” she said.

She went on to say that she was “opposed to their appointment as ministers, opposed to three members of a family being made ministers.”

“But they [Jaitley, Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar)] had some political compulsions which made them appoint the brothers,” she said.

The controversial interview of Swaraj came at a time when the Karnataka government led by BS Yeddyurappa is battling corruption charges and a running battle with the state governor HR Bhardwaj.