I am in BJP because of Mahajan: Munde

Mumbai, May 6 (UNI) Recalling his long association with the late Pramod Mahajan, who succumbed to bullet injuries at the P D Hinduja Hospital here on May three, BJP leader in the Maharashtra Assembly Gopinath Munde today said that he was in the party because of his brother-in-law (Mahajan).

In his first interaction with the journalists since Mr Mahajan was shot and critically wounded by his youngest brother Praveen at his Worli residence on April 22, Mr Munde said he did not come before the media for the past many days as ''my first target was to save my friend and senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.'' ''I knew Pramod Mahajan since he was 18 and I opted to study law on his advice after graduating in commerce, even though I wanted to go in for ICWA, but I left education to join the struggle against the Emergency on his and late Vasantrao Bhagwat's advice'', Mr Munde said, while briefing on the Prime Minister's visit to the residence of the Mahajans this morning to offer his condolence to the bereaved family members.

''We both were jailed on the same day and also released on the same day during the Emergency,'' he said.

He that Mr Mahajan was the architect of not only Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, but several other alliances in the country and hoped that the followers of the departed leader would work on the guidelines given by him.

Mr Munde said Mr Mahajan always took him always for dicsussions with Shiv Sena and now he would work on the same path.

He also thanked all the people who prayed for Mr Mahajan's recovery from the critical state while battling for life for 12 days at the hospital where he finally succumbed to gun shot wounds.

UNI JM KD VD KN2012