Ahmedabad: Has former BJP General Secretary Sanjay Joshi patched up his differences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
Joshi has been praising Modi over Twitter on the demonetisation drive, and now a new poster — for an Ayurveda expo — has surfaced in Ahmedabad that carries the face of both. News18 learns that Joshi is attending the function while the PM is not. For Sangh insiders familiar with the famous fallout between Modi and Joshi, even the fact that an innocuous poster has their faces is a big deal.
But Joshi, when asked by News18 about it, played down any wider significance.
“I have come here to attend and speak at a seminar on Ayurveda and other natural remedies. This is not the occasion to speak about politics,” he said.
When specifically asked if he has patched up with his now-estranged friend, Joshi only said: “He is our leader”.
An RSS pracharak highly popular among ordinary karyakartas and Sangh leaders alike, Joshi served as the BJP General Secretary (Organisation) — a powerful post that involves liasoning with the RSS — from 2001-2005. However, he was left out in the cold after a video sting, only to be rehabilitated later by Nitin Gadkari during his term as party president. Gadkari appointed Joshi as the coordinator for BJP in the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly election in 2012 and appointed him to the party’s national executive.
Modi and Joshi were one-time comrades credited with building a strong foundation for the BJP in Gujarat. However, the relationship soured and, according to reports, Modi even refused to attend BJP’s national conclave in Mumbai in 2012 unless Joshi was removed from the high-powered body. The party buckled under pressure and Joshi was removed. Modi subsequently attended the meeting.
Joshi is now back in the party but has no formal role, although he continues to have the backing of the RSS. He lives in New Delhi and, according to party insiders, actively maintains his political friendships.
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