Trouble in camp saffron? Tathagata Roy and Dilip Ghosh exchange blows

Roy said he does not take Ghosh 'seriously'

Hours after Dilip Ghosh, the national vice-president of the BJP, asked party veteran Tathagata Roy to leave the saffron camp, the former Governor of Tripura hit back at the ex-state president of the BJP, saying that he will not quit but remain as a common member and try to rectify the party.

"I am getting several calls. I have told everybody that I am not leaving the party on my own wish. I am a common member of the party and I shall play the role of 'bibek' (conscience) in the party. Had I decided to leave the party, I would have leaked many secret things but it is not happening now," Roy tweeted.

Roy went on to say: "Joy Banerjee has left BJP. This continuous bleeding does not augur well for the BJP in West Bengal. Dilip Ghosh advises me to leave BJP if I am ashamed of the party. I don't take him seriously. I am now merely a simple member. But I will stay on and try to set the party right. Until..."

Read more: Won't tolerate more neglect, quitting party: BJP leader Joy Banerjee

Roy was referring to actor-turned-politician Joy Banerjee's decision to leave the BJP. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee on Saturday had alleged that he has been removed from the BJP's national working committee and his central security has also been lifted.

Earlier, reacting to Roy's scathing attack on different social platforms for the last six months, Ghosh had said: "How many more days will you remain ashamed? Leave the party. There are some people in the party who have done nothing but the party has given them a lot. These people damage the party the most. This is the most unfortunate thing."

The party's state leadership has sent all the controversial tweets and Facebook posts to the central leadership of the BJP.

Undeterred, Roy said, "Dilip Ghosh will not understand if I say something. This is the problem with uneducated people. I shall not say anything because it will be of no use. So, I prefer to keep my mouth shut. There is no point answering a person who will not understand the meaning of what I say."

The state leadership, however, has decided to maintain an equal distance from both the leaders with regard to the ongoing controversy.

Speaking to the media, state BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said, "Both are senior leaders and know their responsibilities very well. It is not correct to react to this issue. The central leadership is keeping a watch on the developments and it will take its decision at an appropriate time."

Senior BJP leader Shamik Banerjee said, "This is very unfortunate and it has been going on for some time. I am not the right person to comment. The central leadership will speak on the matter at an appropriate time."

Political observers, however, are of the opinion that Ghosh might have got some kind of assurance from the higher-ups in the party because of which he said what he did.

"We must watch and see. We should not have any direct involvement with this issue," a senior BJP leader said.