BANGALORE — Barely a few hours after controversial chief of the Sri Ram Sene Pramod Muthalik, linked with an attack on women at a pub in Mangalore in 2009, was inducted in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday by its state unit in Karnataka, his admission to the party was put on holdby the central BJP leadership. As Congress and other parties latched on the issue to attack BJP and rumblings began within the saffron party, Rajnath Singh directed the party state president in Karnataka to rescind the move. Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said in Delhi the central leadership was not consulted on the decision and has disapproved of it. “It had instructed the state party to reject the membership of Muthalik.” Soon after the party chief's call, Joshi said the decision allowing entry of Muthalik has been set aside. Sources in BJP said Muthalik's inclusion was defered due to opposition expressed by Goa BJP Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and other leaders of BJP. “Criticism of opposition parties has also forced us to take back the decision,” they said. Muthalik, who had announced his candidature from Dharwad constituency, and other leaders of Sri Ram Sene joined BJP in the afternoon in presences of former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, K.S. Eshwarappa and BJP state president Pralhad Joshi. Joshi had said Muthalik was joining BJP to strengthen the hands of Narendra Modi. Speaking to reporters after joining the BJP, Muthalik, who had criticized the BJP as party of corrupt leaders and land grabbers a month ago, said he dropped the decision to contest against Joshi in the interest of the nation. “To support Modi, I will travel throughout the state and campaign for BJP candidates,” he added.
