Former Sonipat Member of Parliament Jitender Malik quits BJP ahead of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's event

CHANDIGARH: In a setback to the ruling BJP in Haryana, former Sonipat MP Jitender Malik quit the party on Saturday after his two-year association. The announcement of Malik's exit from the BJP came a few hours ahead of a public meeting addressed by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar at Gannaur on Saturday afternoon.
Malik, who was instrumental in fixing the CM's programme, not only stayed away from the event but also withdrew all banners and posters in which he was named as one of the invitees."They have hurt my self-respect. I cannot tolerate this. I have been feeling this way for quite some time, so I decided to leave the party. There is no question of reviewing the decision," said the former MP.
Malik also said he has decided not to join any party. "We will continue to work for our constituency and people," he said. State BJP president Subhash Barala was inaccessible for comments. His deputy Rajiv Jain, husband of Haryana urban local bodies minister Kavita Jain said, "We've heard about it from media reports. We have good relations with Malik. We will speak to him."