Kalyan Singh 'repeatedly embarrassed' BJP, says party

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) Kalyan Singh had repeatedly embarrassed the party that had always been 'gracious' to him, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Tuesday after the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister quit on grounds that he was being humiliated.

'His allegations that he was not given his due in the party are baseless and unacceptable. Kalyan Singh has repeatedly embarrassed the party and its leaders,' BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters here, barely an hour after the party vice-president announced his decision to leave.

'It is his own decision to quit and he is joining those who are ideologically opposed to the BJP,' Rudy said, referring to speculation that Kalyan Singh might join the Samajwadi Party following a reported meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav Sunday.

Mulayam Yadav had denied the meeting and subsequently told a section of the media that his party was open to fielding the BJP leader's son Rajvir Singh, who was once a minister in a Samajwadi Party government.

Rudy said: 'He was made the vice-president of the party. The party has always tried to accommodate Kalyan Singh. Despite the fact that he abstained from important party meetings and was not supportive, the party leadership made all possible efforts to accommodate him.'

He added that despite Kalyan Singh's non-cooperation on several party issues, 'his word was respected, his seniority recognised, his suggestions taken into account and his choices accepted'.

'His allegation that he was not given his due is absolutely baseless and unacceptable,' he said. 'The BJP has always been gracious and large-hearted as far as Kalyan Singh is concerned.'

Kalyan Singh resigned Tuesday and said he had returned the party's ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Etah constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He said he was neither joining any party nor quitting active politics and that he felt suffocated in the party.

'It is humiliating to remain in the BJP,' the MP from Bulandshahr said.

Dramatically displaying the ticket at a press conference in state capital Lucknow, Kalyan Singh added: 'This ticket, this I have returned to the party.'