Khandelwal’s terse message, “Stay in line, don’t go right or left” assumed particular significance amid a spate of controversial remarks made by senior party leaders recently, which have caused public embarrassment for the BJP.Several senior BJP leaders from the state, including Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Dewda, cabinet minister Vijay Shah, ex-union minister and seven-time MP Faggan Singh Kulaste, and first-time MLA Narendra Prajapati, have recently landed the party in trouble with their controversial statements related to Operation Sindoor.While Shah, one of the party’s most senior tribal leaders, is facing a criminal case in Indore for his remark calling Colonel Sofia Qureshi, the public face of Operation Sindoor, a “sister of terrorists,” Deputy CM Dewda has come under fire from the opposition Congress for saying that “the Indian Army and soldiers bow at PM Modi’s feet.”Outgoing state BJP chief VD Sharma, who led the party for a record five years, had to frequently tackle outbursts from outspoken party MLAs, including Pradeep Patel (Mauganj) and Pritam Lodhi (Pichhore).Verbal spats involving other lawmakers, such as the continued attacks by first-time MLA and ex-MP Riti Pathak against Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla, and the ongoing feud between Minister Govind Rajput and ex-minister Bhupendra Singh, have also given the Congress fresh ammunition to target the BJP.Senior minister and former union minister Prahlad Patel also faced criticism from the opposition in March for stating that “people are becoming habitual of begging from the government.”In response to the growing list of controversies, the BJP recently organised a training camp for its lawmakers, both MPs and MLAs, at Pachmarhi, the state’s only hill station. The focus of the camp was to train legislators to avoid speaking beyond the party’s official line and to maintain proper public conduct.
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