Mumbai:
Former minister and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) core committee member, Pankaja Munde on Tuesday finally broke her silence over reports appearing in a section of the media that she was sulking at her electoral loss and was contemplating quitting the party. In a clarification issued here, she said that she was greatly distressed at deliberate attempts made by a section of the media in blowing her statement posted on her Facebook wall calling on all her followers to gather at Gopinath Gadh on December 12 to mark the 70th birth anniversary of her late father Gopinath Munde. She termed reports about her quitting the party as “mere rumors”.
She said that she did not react to the grossly inaccurate reports appearing in a section of the press as she wanted time for herself to introspect and what to say to her supporters on December 12. After her defeat to her estranged cousin brother and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Dhananjay Munde from Parli assembly constituency on October 24, Pankaja Munde had been keeping a low profile.
Following her Facebook post on December 1, the mention of BJP from one of her Twitter handle profiles fuelled further speculation about her intentions to quit the party. Earlier in the day, senior BJP leaders Babanrao Lonikar, Vinod Tawde and Ram Shinde called on her at her residence. Speaking to newspersons later, Tawde stated that Pankaja Munde was greatly disturbed over the misinterpretation of her facebook post.
In her clarification later, Pankaja Munde stated that every year she holds a grand function on December 12 to mark the birth anniversary of her late father. This year too she had plans to speak what was on her mind and hence had posted the invitation on her facebook wall. She said that a section of the media deliberately twisted that post and projected as if she was unhappy and was about to leave the party.
She added that some even went to the extent of stating that she was doing it for some position in the party and for that she was trying to exert pressure on the party leadership. Refuting all those contentions, Pankaja Munde stated that she has always remained a honest worker of the party and never had rebellion in her blood. She added that in 2014 a section of the media had argued that she had staked claim to the Chief Ministers post. Later on they planted stories about me being chief minister in the peoples mind. She added that she never had craved for any post in the party.
