'Parallel BJP in Ambala': Haryana's Anil Vij makes big claim; 'blessing' remark raises eyebrows

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Anil Vij raised eyebrows, yet again, as he questioned his own party by claiming that in Ambala Cantonment, a parallel BJP is being run "with the blessing of those at the top". Vij, who is Haryana’s energy, transport and labour minister, is also the MLA from Ambala Cantonment."In Ambala Cantonment, some people are running a parallel BJP with the blessings of those at the top. Tell me in the comments box what we should do, the party is suffering heavy damage," the former Haryana minister said.This is not the first time that Vij's remark has brought rift within the Haryana BJP to the fore. In February this year, Anil Vij fired salvos at CM Nayab Singh Saini and party state chief Mohan Lal Badoli. Vij alleged that CM Saini's close aide colluded against him by backing the rival candidate during last year's Haryana assembly election. The minister claimed that one Ashish Tayal backed Chitra Sarwara in the Ambala Canntt constituency during the state polls in which Vij won with a margin of 7,277 votes. Sarwara contested the assembly elections as an Independent after she was denied a ticket by the Congress. Vij had also posted a video compilation of pictures in which people with Tayal were seen campaigning for Sarwara during the assembly elections. The compilation also had a photo of Tayal with CM Saini. The minister has been targeting the party's state government while alleging that his orders were being ignored. His unhappiness was said to have started after a meeting of the Haryana Cabinet in which he had raised this issue. Consequently, the Haryana BJP issued a show-cause notice to the minister for his remarks "against his own party for quite some time". Later, during a media briefing in Ambala, Vij expressed his inability to share the content of his reply. However, he questioned how the notice served to him went viral in the media and on social media platforms.