PM Modi’s tough talk on Akash Vijayvargia sends local BJP leaders scrambling for cover

Far from the celebratory mood visible in the Indore unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party when local MLA Akash Vijayvargia walked out from custody after being granted bail in a case of assaulting a government official, the party leaders have now categorically denied having welcomed the MLA after walking out of jail at all. Vijayvargia was greeted with garlands at the local BJP office and pictures showed sweets being offered to him by local BJP leader Gopikrishna Nema in the presence of Indore-2 MLA Ramesh Mendola and other party functionaries. Also Read: PM Modi talks tough on assault by BJP MLA, says such people should be kicked out of party The change in tune came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a dressing down to leaders putting up such a brazen display of arrogance and questioned if this was why people had chosen them as their representative. Addressing a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party in the national capital on Tuesday, Modi sent out a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated, no matter whose son he may be. While Modi did not take any names, his reprimand was a clear reference to Akash, son of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargia. The Prime Minister also said that leaders who extend support to such arrogance should also be sacked from the BJP. Modis tough talk appeared to have brought about a clear change in the partys stance. While local leaders have sought to distance themselves from Vijayvargia, the central leadership is also said to be mulling action against the errant MLA. Also Read: He showed no remorse after walking out on bail on Sunday and said everything happened for good. My actions were taken with full responsibility and I have no regrets. I knew the repercussions of this action. Such humans take our public for granted. I will take Gandhijis route and I hope I do not have to resort to this kind of action in the future, a defiant Vijayvargia had said. He was charged sections 353 147 and 148 of the IPC. His father Kailash Vijayvargia had also come out in defence of his son and sought to trivialise the matter, even blaming the media for questioning him over his sons actions. Tumhari aukaat kya hai? he had thundered at a journalist on the day his son was caught on camera bashing the Indore municipal official with a cricket bat.