Shehzad Poonawalla 'presses' BJP to accept resignation after first letter rejected

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla, who tendered his resignation from all party posts earlier, has called upon the BJP to accept his resignation letter, previously rejected by the party. The BJP spokesperson had offered to resign from all positions and primary membership of the party.

In his letter, Poonawalla also expressed “gratefulness, love, affection and highest regard” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Nitin Nabin and senior leaders Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and B L Santosh. Poonawalla cited pressing financial and personal circumstances as the reasons behind his.

What Happened

In another statement which hinted at tensions with party members, he said, "The events of the last few days, courtesy certain individuals about whom I have told you in great detail, have forced me to reinforce and stand by my earlier decision.".

• Poonawalla joined the BJP after quitting the Congress following a fallout over the party's presidential election process in 2017.

• He has repeatedly attacked the Congress and criticised its leaders, including party MP Rahul Gandhi.

• Poonawalla has been a staunch supporter of PM Modi.

Key Details

After joining the BJP, he was elevated to the position of national spokesperson.

• His current bio reads: "Religion, Islam, Culture, Hindu, ideology-Bhartiya, Author: GST ki Yatra; Lifelong follower of PM Narendra Modi".

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Hindustan Times as more details emerge