‘Why would I feel hurt?’: Dilip Ghosh left out of PM Modi, Shah visits; Cites party discipline

BJP leader and former state president Dilip Ghosh was not part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to West Bengal and has also been left out of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the state. On Saturday morning, Ghosh was seen at Newtown Eco Park for his daily walk, during which he responded to questions regarding his absence from key party events involving central leadership.

Responding to why he wasn’t meeting Shah despite the latter staying at a hotel only 1.5 km from his residence, Ghosh said, “I used to go earlier. Back then, I was the president. I would welcome him and stay with him. Now others handle those responsibilities. These days, I stay with the workers.”

When asked whether he felt hurt about not being invited, Ghosh said, “Why would I feel hurt? If senior leaders don’t invite me, I don’t go. Senior leaders have their dignity. Those they invite, they go. I don’t go. I don’t need to. If needed, they will call me. They tell me what I have to do. I just follow those instructions.”

He further said, “There’s a trend of people trailing behind leaders. A crowd of 100–200 people often stands behind them, with or without reason. The leader neither acknowledges them nor does anything. BJP has discipline — workers only go to the programmes they are instructed to. The party decides where which leader should go. I follow that.”

On the issue of Anubrata Mondal, Ghosh stated, “I’ve been hearing his language for ten years. I've heard his dialogues about me. This time, I had the fortune of hearing how he talks to his own party workers. Mamata has gifted Bengal such leaders who are polluting the state’s culture. A party where most leaders have either gone to jail, returned, or are waiting to go. We can now see what kind of culture the party has.”

He added, “In Trinamool, it doesn’t matter who holds which post. What matters is who has money and muscle power. He has never been an MLA, MP, or minister. Yet, he dominates everything — from stone, sand, cattle, coal — it’s all under his control. A man becoming the owner of ₹500 crore — this is only possible in Trinamool Congress.”

When asked about his own past comments, Ghosh said, “I used to joke. I never personally attacked anyone. I never belittled any official. I’ve never stepped outside the party discipline. If someone said something without reason, I had the right to respond, and I did just that.”