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BJP president V. P. Ramalingam on Thursday said the party does not approve of the conduct of some it’s legislators having close association with the forum launched by businessman Jose Charles Martin, the son of lottery baron Santiago Martin, in Puducherry. “We have warned our legislators on their association with the forum launched by Mr. Jose in Puducherry. Still, some of the legislators are openly participating in the events organised by the group. The BJP has nothing to do with the activities of the business group. We have already apprised the party high command of the situation, and they are sending a delegation to Puducherry to inquire into the events, Mr. Ramalingam said addressing a press conference. He said party’s Central leadership has also taken a serious view of the non-participation of some of the legislators in organisational work and party programmes. When reporters asked about the statement of former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy that Mr. Jose had distributed gift boxes to BJP legislators during Deepavali, he said, “It is true that gifts were distributed to all legislators. Gifts were delivered even to my house when I was away, and the items were returned when I came to know about the gesture. Some other legislators have also returned the gifts,” he said. He also criticised the Congress and the DMK for “unnecessarily” creating an issue on the conduct of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India. The conduct of SIR was nothing new in the country as the exercise had been conducted eight times after 1951. It was last held in Puducherry in 2002, the BJP president said. “The Congress and its ally DMK are indulging in fear mongering and have been creating a false propaganda on the SIR process. People should realise that the exercise was being conducted to ensure a free and fair election through voter validation,“ he said.
