Actor Shekhar Suman and former Congress leader Radhika Khera join the Bharatiya Janata Party, in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Former Congress leader Radhika Khera and actor Shekhar Suman joined the BJP on Tuesday amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Khera, the former national coordinator of the Congress's media department, resigned from the party's primary membership on Sunday, days after her altercation with another leader at the party's Chhattisgarh office.
In her resignation letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Khera also claimed she was facing opposition in the party for her visit to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Suman, a popular TV actor who also worked in many Bollywood films, has returned to politics after a gap of about 15 years. He had fought the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Patna Sahib seat in Bihar on a Congress ticket but came third in the contest which was won by Shatrughan Sinha, who was then with the BJP.
Both Khera and Suman joined the BJP at its headquarters here in the presence of its senior leaders, including party national general secretary Vinod Tawde and national media department in-charge Anil Baluni.
Addressing a joint press conference with the BJP leaders, Khera claimed she left the Congress as she was being mistreated since she visited Ayodhya along with her family members for 'darshan' of Lord Ram.
She also alleged that the Congress has become "anti-Sanatan and anti-Hindu and anti-Ram".
"I could reach here due to a safe and secured government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (at the Centre). I could not have reached here if I had not got protection from the BJP government in Chhattisgarh," she claimed.
"I was punished in Congress for being a Hindu, a Sanatani girl and a devotee of Lord Ram. This is no more Mahatma Gandhi’s Congress," she charged.
Suman expressed gratitude towards God for guiding him to join the BJP, saying one has to do what Lord Ram desires.
"Until yesterday, I did not know that I would be sitting here. I have come here with a very positive thought. I thank God who ordered me to come here," he told reporters.
Suman hailed Modi and said under his leadership, India has witnessed significant development over the past decade, with its "position, status, and fortune undergoing positive transformations".
"It is the duty of every Hindustani to be part of this stream and energy," he said, adding, "I am fortunate that I have got the opportunity".
He thanked Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda and other leaders of the party for giving him an opportunity to fulfill his social responsibility and commitment to fostering a positive change.
Suman, who is well known for a number of TV series including Dekh Bhai Dekh and late night show Movers n Shakers hosted by him, is in limelight with Leela Bhansali's web series Heeramandi. He is portraying the character of Nawab Zulfikar in the web series.
Welcoming Khera and Suman to the BJP fold, Tawde said he was confident that they will contribute to achieving Modi's resolve of making India a developed country.
Referring to Suman's famous Movers n Shakers TV show, the BJP leader said in lighter when, "We will see who will move and shake now".