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Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 22
After “dinner diplomacy” at Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s residence on Wednesday , which is being seen as an attempt to mollify “disgruntled” ministers who met over tea on Tuesday, “all is well” is the message coming out from the BJP-led state government.
Khattar’s dinner meeting came a day after his senior ministers Anil Vij, Ram Bilas Sharma, OP Dhankar and Vipul Goel met over a cup of tea, and close on the heels of “disillusionment” expressed by some party leaders at a meeting headed by BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
However, Vij left Wednesday’s meeting before dinner could start fueling the speculations further.
The minister later clarified that he had to leave early because of his pre-occupation in Ambala. “I don’t have any issues with the CM. If I had any, I am the one who do not hesitate to speak out,” Vij said.
Before his dinner meeting with the ministers, Khattar spent hours with BJP workers from Nuh, Sirsa, Hisar and Panchkula. The meeting was attended by party MLAs from these districts, and also by those who lost the 2014 Assembly elections. Khattar listened to their grievances and had lunch with them.
Senior BJP leaders, including ministers, however, have denied differences within the party. “The CM’s dinner meeting with the ministers was a routine matter where a number of issues were discussed. The reports of bickering are totally unfounded,” said Rajiv Jain, media in-charge of the BJP.
Jain’s wife Kavita is a senior minister in the Khattar Cabinet with the portfolio of Women and Child Development, Urban Local Bodies and some others.
A senior minister, who was among the four who met over tea at the Secretariat on Tuesday, said there was nothing unusual in the dinner or tea meetings.
“We first met at Vij’s office and then all came to my office as we thought that we should have another cup of tea. Ministers not seeing eye-to-eye could be the news for the media not our meetings,” said a minister.
He said during their dinner meeting, discussions were held on the upcoming procurement season of mustard and wheat and how to ensure that farmers did not have to suffer.
He added that discussions were also held on the “Bharat Kesari Dangal” which is underway at Bhiwani, and the 3rd Agri Leadership Summit to be held at Rohtak from March 24 to 26.
A minister considered close to Khattar claimed that the type of authority the CM enjoyed over his ministers and MLAs now was much better than ever before.
Speculations were rife about disenchantment of some senior ministers ever since voices of resentment were heard at the meeting of Haryana BJP leaders chaired by Vijayvargiya on March 15.
Sources said some party leaders had voiced their displeasure over the manner in which bureaucracy “ignored” their directions.
Some ministers, according to sources, were particularly sore over the attitude of bureaucrats in the Chief Minister’s office.
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