New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS) BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah for sidelining veterans like L.K. Advani, Murli Manohan Joshi and Yashwant Sinha.

The actor-turned-politician criticized Modi and Shah — without naming them — for not responding to queries being raised in the national interest by Sinha, Arun Shourie and he (Shatrughan Sinha) himself.

He referred to estranged Maharashtra Congress leader Shahzad Poonawala’s rant against Rahul Gandhi who is set to be declared the new Congress President and how Bharatiya Janata Party leaders used the remarks to target the Congress.

“Poonawala vented his ‘Shahzaada frustration’ in what was clearly an ‘internal matter’ of their party. But maybe due to wrong briefing, or due to anger and confusion, some of our own people and leaders have jumped in to shed crocodile tears for him on RaGa’s (Rahul Gandhi) elevation,” Sinha said in a series of tweets.

“On the other hand our own ‘one man show and two man army’ (a clear reference to Modi and Shah) have been giving unbecoming treatment to some of our most deserving and senior leaders like respected Advaniji, Murli Manohar Joshiji and most deserving Kirti Azad.

“And why is the leadership not responding to queries being raised in the national interest time and again by learned and intellectual leaders like Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and yours truly Shatrughana Sinha?

“What is right for Peter should be right for Paul too!” he said.

Sinha’s remarks came after Modi congratulated the Congress for the “Aurangzeb Raj” as the Gandhi scion filed his nomination papers for the party’s chief post on Monday.

Advani and Joshi, both founding members of the BJP, were made members of the party’s Margdarshak Mandal after Modi came to power in May 2014, virtually signalling the end of their active political life.

Sinha and Shourie – both former Union ministers – have been vocal against the policies of the Modi government, especially demonetisation and the GST.

–IANS
aks/sar/mr